Lot Essay
The present stand, designed to hold twelve tasses à glace, can be confirmed as from the delivery to Marie Antoinette, as the soucoupes for the Gustave III portion were decorated by Buteux fils aîné.
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Portrait of the Queen Marie-Antoinette,
by Madame Vigée-Lebrun (R.M.N.).
Portrait of King Gustave III of Sweden,
by G. Lundberg,
Collection of l'institut Tessin, Paris.
THE 'SERVICE DE LA REINE' MADE FOR HER MAJESTY MARIE-ANTOINETTE, QUEEN OF FRANCE
(Lots 36-37)
In January 1784, Marie-Antoinette commissioned from Sèvres a sumptuous dinner service for her use at Versailles. However, upon its completion in May of that year, it was given instead by Louis XVI to Gustav III as a diplomatic gift commemorating the Swedish king's
visit to France. Not to be long denied, Marie-Antoinette received her own service, in the exact same pattern and design and of the same composition plus an additional 24 large oval and round platters, on 26 August 1784. Five years later, a third service in the same pattern, described in the factory's records as ..décoration riche en couleurs et riche en or ...de la reine was commissioned by Marie-Antoinette's sister-in-law, the Comtesse d'Artois.
Although the service for the comtesse can be easily distinguished from the original two orders by its date letter of 1789, the pieces dated 1784 destined for Marie-Antoinette and Gustav III have become interchanged over the years, making accurate identification more difficult. Only through a careful comparision of Sèvres' records and the painter's and gilder's marks on the pieces can the original commissions be distinguished, if at all.
Our thanks to David Peters, whose painstaking cross-referencing of the factory's kiln records, payment records and sales records can confirm the present ice-cup stand and the triple-salt as from the queen's service.
A SEVRES FOOTED ICE-CUP STAND FROM THE 'SERVICE DE LA REINE' MADE FOR AND DELIVERED TO MARIE-ANTOINETTE (SOUCOUPE A PIED)
BLUE INTERLACED L'S ENCLOSING DATE LETTERS GG FOR 1784, PAINTER'S MARK FOR BOILEAU, GILDER'S MARK IN BLUE FOR GIRARD, ILLEGIBLE INCISED MARK BENEATH THE INTERLACED L'S
Details
A SEVRES FOOTED ICE-CUP STAND FROM THE 'SERVICE DE LA REINE' MADE FOR AND DELIVERED TO MARIE-ANTOINETTE (SOUCOUPE A PIED)
Blue interlaced L's enclosing date letters GG for 1784, painter's mark for Boileau, gilder's mark in blue for Girard, illegible incised mark beneath the interlaced L's
The rim painted with a frise riche border of pink and blue flower sprigs within a gilt foliate rinceau on a carmine ground and within bands of gilt laurel, and gilt-berried green laurel on a carmine ground, punctuated with medallions of 'pearls' on an alternate carmine or blue ground edged in gilt and enclosing a pansy sprig, the center with a band of 'pearls' on a blue ground edged in gilt enclosing flower sprays
8¾in. (22.2cm.) diam.
Blue interlaced L's enclosing date letters GG for 1784, painter's mark for Boileau, gilder's mark in blue for Girard, illegible incised mark beneath the interlaced L's
The rim painted with a frise riche border of pink and blue flower sprigs within a gilt foliate rinceau on a carmine ground and within bands of gilt laurel, and gilt-berried green laurel on a carmine ground, punctuated with medallions of 'pearls' on an alternate carmine or blue ground edged in gilt and enclosing a pansy sprig, the center with a band of 'pearls' on a blue ground edged in gilt enclosing flower sprays
8¾in. (22.2cm.) diam.
Provenance
Marie-Antoinette of France, delivered 26 August 1784 as part of a 239-piece dinner service
J. Rochelle Thomas, Inc., New York
The Property of a Gentleman; Sotheby's New York, 5 November 1998, lot 106 (the salt), lot 107 (the stand)
J. Rochelle Thomas, Inc., New York
The Property of a Gentleman; Sotheby's New York, 5 November 1998, lot 106 (the salt), lot 107 (the stand)