Pot a sucre Hébert thumbnail 1
Pot a sucre Hébert thumbnail 2
+3
images
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Ceramics, Room 139, The Curtain Foundation Gallery

Pot a sucre Hébert

Sugar Bowl and Cover
ca. 1757 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The most important French porcelain factory was founded in about 1740 in the royal château of Vincennes, with workmen lured from the nearby factory at Chantilly. Commercial production began in earnest around 1745 when Louis XV granted it a privilege to make porcelain 'in the manner of Saxony, painted and gilded, with human figures'.

As the wording of the privilege suggests, the factory's earliest style was indebted to the prestigious hard-paste porcelain made at Meissen in Saxony. However, the support and protection of Louis XV and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, enabled Vincennes to secure the best technicians, artists, sculptors and designers. The factory's repertoire quickly evolved from the emulation of East Asian or Meissen examples to incorporate the latest styles used in French gilt-bronze, woodcarving and decorative painting. Vincennes became renowned for its luxurious ground colours and richly-tooled gilded decoration. By 1756 the factory had outgrown its workshops in the old château and it transferred to specially constructed premises at Sèvres.

The Royal Manufactory specialised in exceptionally luxurious objects, many destined for the French court. Tea, coffee and chocolate wares were among its most popular products. This exquisite tea-set or déjeuner has the fashionable rose pink ground colour, rich gilding and swags of flowers. It was no doubt for the personal use of a very wealthy courtier or member of the royal family and would probably have been used in the boudoir or bedroom.

During the first half of the 18th century coffee was the most popular hot drink in France. However, by the middle of the century, the refined pastime of tea drinking had become fashionable among the wealthy elite. Tea was an expensive luxury and it was served using appropriately precious vessels. Strong tea was poured from a comparatively small pot and diluted with hot water in the cup; sugar was added to alleviate the bitterness, and sometimes hot or cold milk.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Sugar Basin
  • Sugar Basin Cover
TitlePot a sucre Hébert (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Soft-paste porcelain, painted in enamels and gilt
Brief description
Sugar bowl and cover, porcelain, with floral knop on lid, floral decoration painted in enamels and gilt, Sèvres porcelain factory, France, about 1757
Physical description
Sugar bowl and cover, sinuous sides, floral knop on lid, floral decoration painted in enamels and gilt on a pink and white ground.
Dimensions
  • Height: 5.7cm
  • Diameter: 7.3cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • traces of mark (in blue enamel)
  • '*'
Object history
Bought from the Bernal Collection.
Subject depicted
Summary
The most important French porcelain factory was founded in about 1740 in the royal château of Vincennes, with workmen lured from the nearby factory at Chantilly. Commercial production began in earnest around 1745 when Louis XV granted it a privilege to make porcelain 'in the manner of Saxony, painted and gilded, with human figures'.

As the wording of the privilege suggests, the factory's earliest style was indebted to the prestigious hard-paste porcelain made at Meissen in Saxony. However, the support and protection of Louis XV and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour, enabled Vincennes to secure the best technicians, artists, sculptors and designers. The factory's repertoire quickly evolved from the emulation of East Asian or Meissen examples to incorporate the latest styles used in French gilt-bronze, woodcarving and decorative painting. Vincennes became renowned for its luxurious ground colours and richly-tooled gilded decoration. By 1756 the factory had outgrown its workshops in the old château and it transferred to specially constructed premises at Sèvres.

The Royal Manufactory specialised in exceptionally luxurious objects, many destined for the French court. Tea, coffee and chocolate wares were among its most popular products. This exquisite tea-set or déjeuner has the fashionable rose pink ground colour, rich gilding and swags of flowers. It was no doubt for the personal use of a very wealthy courtier or member of the royal family and would probably have been used in the boudoir or bedroom.

During the first half of the 18th century coffee was the most popular hot drink in France. However, by the middle of the century, the refined pastime of tea drinking had become fashionable among the wealthy elite. Tea was an expensive luxury and it was served using appropriately precious vessels. Strong tea was poured from a comparatively small pot and diluted with hot water in the cup; sugar was added to alleviate the bitterness, and sometimes hot or cold milk.
Associated objects
Bibliographic references
  • Savill, Rosalind. The Wallace Collection: Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, 3 vols. London: Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1988. See Vol. II, p. 491 for notes on déjeuners: 'Small tea services with a matching tray were called déjeuners . Such sets were in production by 1753 when they were itemized in the documents. From 1756 the term déjeuner was used, qualified by the title of the tray... Duvaux used the term déjeuner for a set before it appeared at Sèvres. The composition of a déjeuner depended on the size of the tray.... Few déjeuners of the 1750s included a teapot but they were sometimes added later; in 1758 Duvaux sold 'Un déjeuner gros-bleu & l'augmentation d'une théière en place d'une tasse '. Most déjeuners were independent items, but from the 1770s they were sometimes sold with dinner services.'
  • Medlam, S. and Ellis Miller, L. (eds.) Princely Treasures: European Masterpieces 1600-1800 from the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: V&A Publishing, 2011. pp.130-131
Collection
Accession number
2020C&D-1855

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Record createdJune 7, 2004
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