Lot Essay
The date of conception of this shape, the epitome of the Louis XV style, by Jean-Claude Duplessis, pre, is known by a letter from Hendrick van Hulst to Boileau, 26 October 1751: "...je n'ai nulle ide de la forme que le petit croquis indique des pots la romaine de M. du Plessis..." In the list of moulds contained in the stock list of October 1752, the moulds for this shape were valued at 10 livres; in comparison with other moulds this was a very high price. Ewers and basins in biscuit were valued at 27 livres and decorated they sold for prices ranging from 144 to 480 livres.
On December 18, 1753, Lazard Duvaux supplied to mme la Marquise de Ferrire "un pot a la romaine dans sa jatte a feuille de cho (sic), porcelaine de France peint a fleurs, 144 livres". This entry may very well refer to the present example, as the other know examples are either differently decorated or are earlier in date.
The example sold Sotheby's London, 12 June 1984, lot 169 (dated circa 1752, the feuille-de-choux enriched in blue and the toursade with red currants and other fruit) and that belonging to the late Mrs. Charles Steuart sold Christie's London, 28 June 1993, lot 4 (dated circa 1752, the feuille-de-choux enriched in blue), were decorated with flowers and a central toursade on the basin similar to the present example.
Other extant examples are from the collection of the Marquis de Vog, illustrated by Garnier, La Porcelaine tendre de Svres, Paris 1889, pl. 4; that in a private collection illustrated by Tamara Praud and Antoine d'Albise, La Porcelaine de Vincennes, Paris, 1991, p. 128, no. 55, dated 1753 and described as one of the earliest known examples of green ground; bleu cleste examples in the Rhsska Museum, Gothenburg (Svend Eriksen and Geoffrey de Bellaigue, Svres Porcelain, London, 1987, no. 98a & b) and at Waddesdon Manor (Svend Eriksen, Svres Porcelain in the James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, no. 10).
Thomas Jones served as secretary to the British Ambassador to Paris in the years following the French Revolution. A friend of Charles, Prince de Ligne, he attended the Congress of Vienna 1814-1815. He did not return to England until after his marriage in 1827.
The script N mark found on both the ewer and basin of the present lot are generally associated with F-J Aloncle. However, here it is more likely the mark of an unidentified flower painter of the highest quality whose was active at the factory 1753-1755. See David Peters, Decorator and Date Marks on C18th Vincennes and Svres Porcelain, London, 1997, p.8, 83.
On December 18, 1753, Lazard Duvaux supplied to mme la Marquise de Ferrire "un pot a la romaine dans sa jatte a feuille de cho (sic), porcelaine de France peint a fleurs, 144 livres". This entry may very well refer to the present example, as the other know examples are either differently decorated or are earlier in date.
The example sold Sotheby's London, 12 June 1984, lot 169 (dated circa 1752, the feuille-de-choux enriched in blue and the toursade with red currants and other fruit) and that belonging to the late Mrs. Charles Steuart sold Christie's London, 28 June 1993, lot 4 (dated circa 1752, the feuille-de-choux enriched in blue), were decorated with flowers and a central toursade on the basin similar to the present example.
Other extant examples are from the collection of the Marquis de Vog, illustrated by Garnier, La Porcelaine tendre de Svres, Paris 1889, pl. 4; that in a private collection illustrated by Tamara Praud and Antoine d'Albise, La Porcelaine de Vincennes, Paris, 1991, p. 128, no. 55, dated 1753 and described as one of the earliest known examples of green ground; bleu cleste examples in the Rhsska Museum, Gothenburg (Svend Eriksen and Geoffrey de Bellaigue, Svres Porcelain, London, 1987, no. 98a & b) and at Waddesdon Manor (Svend Eriksen, Svres Porcelain in the James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, no. 10).
Thomas Jones served as secretary to the British Ambassador to Paris in the years following the French Revolution. A friend of Charles, Prince de Ligne, he attended the Congress of Vienna 1814-1815. He did not return to England until after his marriage in 1827.
The script N mark found on both the ewer and basin of the present lot are generally associated with F-J Aloncle. However, here it is more likely the mark of an unidentified flower painter of the highest quality whose was active at the factory 1753-1755. See David Peters, Decorator and Date Marks on C18th Vincennes and Svres Porcelain, London, 1997, p.8, 83.