Theiere Ronde
Teapot and Cover
ca. 1745-ca. 1750 (made)
ca. 1745-ca. 1750 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Vincennes porcelain factory had a link to the French crown from the start as it was established in about 1740 in the semi-abandoned royal fortress of the château de Vincennes to the east of Paris. There, a handful of porcelain specialists devoted themselves to solving the technical challenges of porcelain production as huge sums were paid by wealthy aristocrats for this glassy white substance which, up to then, was mostly imported from East Asia or the Meissen factory in what is now Germany. During the early 1740s many of the Vincennes factory's products were probably experimental as the porcelain body was still being perfected and different enamel colours invented. In 1745 however, they secured a royal 'privilège' which granted them the exclusive right to produce porcelain ‘in Meissen style’ in France. As the wording suggests, the factory's earliest productions were indebted to the prestigious Meissen factory. The factory's repertoire quickly evolved however, from the emulation of East Asian or Meissen examples to incorporate the latest styles used in French gilt-bronze, woodcarving and decorative painting. The financial support and patronage of King Louis XV and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, enabled Vincennes to secure the best technicians, artists, sculptors and designers. Jean-Claude Duplessis (director of models, 1748-74), Jean-Jacques Bachelier (director of decoration, 1751-93), Etienne-Maurice Falconet (director of sculpture, 1757-66), and the court painter François Boucher, all played a central role in the development of this entirely new French art form. By 1756 the factory had outgrown its workshops in the old château and it transferred to specially constructed premises at Sèvres (south-west of Paris). In 1759 the king purchased the factory outright and remarkably the Sèvres porcelain manufactory continues in production to the present day.
This teapot demonstrates the technical and artistic achievements of the Vincennes factory by the late 1740s and is a particularly fine and rare surviving example of this period.
This teapot demonstrates the technical and artistic achievements of the Vincennes factory by the late 1740s and is a particularly fine and rare surviving example of this period.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Title | Theiere Ronde (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels |
| Brief description | Teapot and cover, porcelain, round form, loop handle, decorated with pastoral figures in colours, Vincennes porcelain factory, France, about 1745-1750 |
| Physical description | Teapot and cover, porcelain, round form, loop handle, decorated with pastoral figures in colours of Taunay on a white ground. Lid with knop of flower bud & leaves. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Purchase through the John Webb Trust Fund |
| Object history | Tamara Préaud commented in 1976 that the cover may not belong. Bought for £27 10s 0d from Harold Davis Esq. |
| Production | Porcelain de Vincennes cat p. 134 pl. 399. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The Vincennes porcelain factory had a link to the French crown from the start as it was established in about 1740 in the semi-abandoned royal fortress of the château de Vincennes to the east of Paris. There, a handful of porcelain specialists devoted themselves to solving the technical challenges of porcelain production as huge sums were paid by wealthy aristocrats for this glassy white substance which, up to then, was mostly imported from East Asia or the Meissen factory in what is now Germany. During the early 1740s many of the Vincennes factory's products were probably experimental as the porcelain body was still being perfected and different enamel colours invented. In 1745 however, they secured a royal 'privilège' which granted them the exclusive right to produce porcelain ‘in Meissen style’ in France. As the wording suggests, the factory's earliest productions were indebted to the prestigious Meissen factory. The factory's repertoire quickly evolved however, from the emulation of East Asian or Meissen examples to incorporate the latest styles used in French gilt-bronze, woodcarving and decorative painting. The financial support and patronage of King Louis XV and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, enabled Vincennes to secure the best technicians, artists, sculptors and designers. Jean-Claude Duplessis (director of models, 1748-74), Jean-Jacques Bachelier (director of decoration, 1751-93), Etienne-Maurice Falconet (director of sculpture, 1757-66), and the court painter François Boucher, all played a central role in the development of this entirely new French art form. By 1756 the factory had outgrown its workshops in the old château and it transferred to specially constructed premises at Sèvres (south-west of Paris). In 1759 the king purchased the factory outright and remarkably the Sèvres porcelain manufactory continues in production to the present day. This teapot demonstrates the technical and artistic achievements of the Vincennes factory by the late 1740s and is a particularly fine and rare surviving example of this period. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.131&A-1934 |
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| Record created | June 7, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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