CIRCA 1800

Tromp l'oeil plaques such as the present example, delicately modeled with ribbon-tied bouquets or baskets of flowers and produced at Sèvres and at other contemporanious French factories, were often used as furniture mounts. The shade of blue on the background of the present example and the quality of its sprigging compare favorably with a marked Dihl & Guerhard mantle clock sold Christie's East, 14 October 1999, lot 43. However, the style of modeling, particularly that of the roses, is closer to that of Joseph Humbert. This artist specialized in the modeling and mounting of biscuit flowers both in low and high relief. He is recorded as working at Sèvres from August 1773 through January 1792, returning in the revolutionary year 3 (1794) and leaving for good at an unspecified date around 1801.

Cf. the pair of bouquet plaques sold Christie's, New York, 21 May 1996, lot 99, one dated 1784, the other dated 1802 but both signed Humbert ft de lan....