Lot Essay
According to the archives of the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres (Registre Vbb 11, folio 37 verso, 19 novembre 1850), two corbeille palmier and two palmier de corbeille were delivered to the Présidence de L' Assemblée Nationale in 1850, "riche décor en or 815/1630 francs". The pair is not listed in the inventory of the firm's retail outlet until 30 novembre 1850 (Registre Vv 5, folio 44 no. 10), but as inventory listings for the store were often added well after delivery dates, an eleven day discrepancy is not unusual.
The manufacture dates for the baskets are for 1828 and 1831, with both having been gilt in 1831. The manufacture date for one of the stands is 1836. The unmarked second stand has a decorating mark for 1844. Both have red stencilled decorating marks for 1850. It is probable that when Sèvres received the commission from the government for these pieces, the order was made up from stock, the gilding freshened and the stands stencilled with the appropriate République Française red seals for decoration and delivery location in use at the time.
Cf. Marcelle Brunet et Tamara Préaud, Sèvres des Origines à nos Jours, Paris, 1978, no. 439 for an example of the basket and stand dated 1833 and in the collection of the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples (inv. no. 7011)
A pair of stands on verde antico bases is in the collection of the Museum Schloss Fasanerie near Fulda, Germany (inv. no. Pe 1724 a-b). Purchased from Sèvres circa 1828/29 as part of an extensive botanical service ordered for Schloss Philippsruhe near Hanau by Kurfürst Wilhelm II von Hessen-Kassel, both are stencilled with the blue entwined C mark used by the factory during the reign of Charles X and dated 28. One is inscribed M.C. 19 Nov. 28, an inscription similar to that found on the bottoms of both of the present baskets, and an indication that the same gilder may have worked on both pair.
Our thanks to Mme. Tamara Préaud for her assistance in researching the provenance of this piece.
The manufacture dates for the baskets are for 1828 and 1831, with both having been gilt in 1831. The manufacture date for one of the stands is 1836. The unmarked second stand has a decorating mark for 1844. Both have red stencilled decorating marks for 1850. It is probable that when Sèvres received the commission from the government for these pieces, the order was made up from stock, the gilding freshened and the stands stencilled with the appropriate République Française red seals for decoration and delivery location in use at the time.
Cf. Marcelle Brunet et Tamara Préaud, Sèvres des Origines à nos Jours, Paris, 1978, no. 439 for an example of the basket and stand dated 1833 and in the collection of the Museo di Capodimonte, Naples (inv. no. 7011)
A pair of stands on verde antico bases is in the collection of the Museum Schloss Fasanerie near Fulda, Germany (inv. no. Pe 1724 a-b). Purchased from Sèvres circa 1828/29 as part of an extensive botanical service ordered for Schloss Philippsruhe near Hanau by Kurfürst Wilhelm II von Hessen-Kassel, both are stencilled with the blue entwined C mark used by the factory during the reign of Charles X and dated 28. One is inscribed M.C. 19 Nov. 28, an inscription similar to that found on the bottoms of both of the present baskets, and an indication that the same gilder may have worked on both pair.
Our thanks to Mme. Tamara Préaud for her assistance in researching the provenance of this piece.