Many royal and noble patrons were attracted to the glamour (and the potential financial gain) of porcelain production and gave their support to fledgling factories. In 1730 the Prince de Condé, a cousin of Louis XV, gave his protection to a new enterprise at Chantilly, outside Paris. Craftsmen were lured from the rival Saint-Cloud factory and a royal privilege, granted in 1735, permitted Chantilly to produce porcelain decorated with overglaze enamel colours in the Japanese 'kakiemon' style. For a while, tin oxide was used to whiten the glaze. Later productions included a much broader range of styles and decoration, including flowers and a striking blue-lozenge ground pattern (Fig. 22-1902). The Prince de Condé was a loyal client of his own factory. An inventory of his possessions drawn up after his death in 1740 (five years after the factory was founded) includes eighty pieces in a variety of models.

Market sellers and tradespeople were popular subjects for figures during the eighteenth century and this example combines this fashion with the vogue for chinoiserie, or fanciful depictions of chinese scenes and decoration.