CIRCA 1780, THE PORCELAIN BASE ON ONE VASE WITH PUCE INTERLACED L'S, WITH THE PAINTER'S MARK 9 FOR BUTEUX L'AÎNÉ, THE PORCELAIN TO ONE LID POSSIBLY REPLACED

Charles-Nicolas Buteux l'aîné, also called fils and fils aîné, is documented as a painter of flowers and a gilder, active at Sèvres from 1763-1801. After entering the factory at the age of nine in November 1763, Buteux specialised as a painter of flowers in sprays, bouquets, garlands and border patterns. Perhaps characteristic of a life-long employee of the factory, he also frequently undertook the gilding and burnishing of objects, including objects he had painted, working in the gilders' workshop for up to two months at a time. While the majority of works decorated by Buteux comprise tea service pieces or other useful wares, he was known to also decorate vases on special order.