CIRCA 1740, THE PORCELAIN 18TH CENTURY

The combination of exotic and expensive Chinese porcelain and lacquer with rich gilt-bronze mounts is typical of the imagination of the marchands-mercier, such as Lazare Duvaux, who created whimsical 'objets de luxe' for the French Court. The Livre-Journal of Lazare Duvaux records that on 19 December 1749 he sold to 'M. Brochant, correcteur des comptes: Une écritoire de trois cornet de porcelaine blanche sur un plateau verni. 60 livres'. An encrier of the same overall form, with similar ormolu mounts surrounding a panel of Vernis Martin imitating Chinese lacquer, mounted with three Chinese porcelain pots, and the central pot below a blanc-de-chine figural group and candle-arms, is in the J. Paul Getty Museum (C. Hess & G. Wilson, Summary Catalogue of European Decorative Arts in the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 2001, p. 92, no. 186). A further example of the same form but with a red lacquer panel and blanc-de-chine bowls was formerly in the collection of Mrs. Anna Thompson Dodge, sold Christie's, London, 24 June 1971, lot 32.