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Lot Essay
This charming, jewel-like mounted vase, which delights in the eccentric, organic form of the aubergine-shaped Chinese teapot, reflects the passion for mounting exotic porcelains in the 1770's and 1780's among connoisseur collectors such as the duc d'Aumont and, subsequently, Marie-Antoinette.
Such precious mounted pieces, reminiscent of Renaissance Schatzkammer objects, enjoyed a revived popularity at the end of the 18th century through the impetus of both the marchands-merciers and, more importantly, the hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs, where the duc d'Aumont himself established a workshop in 1770 specialising in the cutting and polishing of precious hardstones, and also commissioned for himself rare porcelains mounted with gilt-bronzes.
The duc d’Aumont employed the influential architect François-Joseph Belanger (1744 - 1818) as designer and the celebrated bronzier Pierre Gouthière (1732 - 1813) as ciseleur-doreur. Indeed, the superbly detailed mounts of this vase are comparable to the work of Gouthière, who was Marie Antoinette's favorite bronzier and one of the elite artisans to be named in contemporary catalogues; for example, all of the lots in the famous 1782 sale of the duc d'Aumont's collection with mounts by Gouthière were proudly identified with the letter 'G'. The distinctive incurved legs of this vase relate to those on a pair of Japanese porcelain incense burners with mounts by Gouthière supplied to the duc d’Aumont circa 1775 and subsequently sold in the sale of his collection in 1782 (see C. Vignon and C. Baulez, Pierre Gouthière: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court, exh. cat., New York, 2016, pp. 200-1, cat. 14). The legs on the duc d’Aumont perfume burners also feature delicate incised work similar to the underside of this vase.
The idiosyncratic legs with hoof feet and incised stars around the rim above the legs also feature on a pair of so-called ‘Hampton Palace’ Imari porcelain vases formerly in the collection of Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan (which also feature similar delicate engraved work to the ormolu on the underside of the vases), sold Christie’s, London, 12 December 2002, lot 30. A further pair of vases of this type with similar legs but without the star ornament to the rim, was supplied by Dominique Daguerre to George, Prince of Wales for the Rose Satin Drawing Room at Carlton House and are now in the King’s Dining Room, Windsor Castle (RCIN 39236-see D. Watkin, The Royal Interiors of Regency England, London, 1984, p. 118).
Further related jewel-like mounted objects with ormolu attributed to Gouthière include two small agate vases with similar incurved legs and pierced rather than engraved strapwork to the underside (one sold from the Alexander Collection; Christie’s, New York, 30 April 1999, lot 24; and one sold from a New York collection; Christie’s, New York, 19 October 2007, lot 263).
Queen Marie-Antoinette was also a passionate collector of such jewel-like mounted objects, and indeed, she and Louis XVI bought several lots in the sale of the duc d’Aumont’s collection. She housed her collection of precious objets in some of the most intimate rooms of her appartements at Versailles, the Grand Cabinet Intérieur and the Cabinet Doré. After the Queen was forced to leave Versailles at the onset of the Revolution, she entrusted these prized objets to her favorite marchand-mercier, Dominique Daguerre, for safekeeping (he had sold her many of the pieces), and following her death they entered the collection of the newly formed Musée du Louvre. One of these pieces, a fontaine in Chinese turquoise porcelain, includes a circular vessel supported by gilt-bronze incurved legs closely related to those on this charming vase (see D. Alcouffe et al.,Gilt Bronzes in the Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 254-5, cat. 126). Indeed it is likely that the charming and rare mounted vase offered here was also ordered by Daguerre, one of the most influential tastemakers of the final years of the ancien régime.
Such precious mounted pieces, reminiscent of Renaissance Schatzkammer objects, enjoyed a revived popularity at the end of the 18th century through the impetus of both the marchands-merciers and, more importantly, the hôtel des Menus-Plaisirs, where the duc d'Aumont himself established a workshop in 1770 specialising in the cutting and polishing of precious hardstones, and also commissioned for himself rare porcelains mounted with gilt-bronzes.
The duc d’Aumont employed the influential architect François-Joseph Belanger (1744 - 1818) as designer and the celebrated bronzier Pierre Gouthière (1732 - 1813) as ciseleur-doreur. Indeed, the superbly detailed mounts of this vase are comparable to the work of Gouthière, who was Marie Antoinette's favorite bronzier and one of the elite artisans to be named in contemporary catalogues; for example, all of the lots in the famous 1782 sale of the duc d'Aumont's collection with mounts by Gouthière were proudly identified with the letter 'G'. The distinctive incurved legs of this vase relate to those on a pair of Japanese porcelain incense burners with mounts by Gouthière supplied to the duc d’Aumont circa 1775 and subsequently sold in the sale of his collection in 1782 (see C. Vignon and C. Baulez, Pierre Gouthière: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court, exh. cat., New York, 2016, pp. 200-1, cat. 14). The legs on the duc d’Aumont perfume burners also feature delicate incised work similar to the underside of this vase.
The idiosyncratic legs with hoof feet and incised stars around the rim above the legs also feature on a pair of so-called ‘Hampton Palace’ Imari porcelain vases formerly in the collection of Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan (which also feature similar delicate engraved work to the ormolu on the underside of the vases), sold Christie’s, London, 12 December 2002, lot 30. A further pair of vases of this type with similar legs but without the star ornament to the rim, was supplied by Dominique Daguerre to George, Prince of Wales for the Rose Satin Drawing Room at Carlton House and are now in the King’s Dining Room, Windsor Castle (RCIN 39236-see D. Watkin, The Royal Interiors of Regency England, London, 1984, p. 118).
Further related jewel-like mounted objects with ormolu attributed to Gouthière include two small agate vases with similar incurved legs and pierced rather than engraved strapwork to the underside (one sold from the Alexander Collection; Christie’s, New York, 30 April 1999, lot 24; and one sold from a New York collection; Christie’s, New York, 19 October 2007, lot 263).
Queen Marie-Antoinette was also a passionate collector of such jewel-like mounted objects, and indeed, she and Louis XVI bought several lots in the sale of the duc d’Aumont’s collection. She housed her collection of precious objets in some of the most intimate rooms of her appartements at Versailles, the Grand Cabinet Intérieur and the Cabinet Doré. After the Queen was forced to leave Versailles at the onset of the Revolution, she entrusted these prized objets to her favorite marchand-mercier, Dominique Daguerre, for safekeeping (he had sold her many of the pieces), and following her death they entered the collection of the newly formed Musée du Louvre. One of these pieces, a fontaine in Chinese turquoise porcelain, includes a circular vessel supported by gilt-bronze incurved legs closely related to those on this charming vase (see D. Alcouffe et al.,Gilt Bronzes in the Louvre, Dijon, 2004, pp. 254-5, cat. 126). Indeed it is likely that the charming and rare mounted vase offered here was also ordered by Daguerre, one of the most influential tastemakers of the final years of the ancien régime.