THE MOUNTS CIRCA 1730, THE PORCELAIN KANGXI PERIOD (1661-1722)

Kangxi Chinese porcelain parrots of this model exist in various colours including polychrome, blanc-de-chine and, as in the present case, turquoise. They were mounted in France throughout the 18th Century, a fashion which was promoted by marchands-merciers, such as Lazare Duvaux or Simon-Philippe Poirier, who are both known to have sold these wares. Two pairs of such turquoise parrots mounted with ormolu bases are recorded in the Livre Journal of Lazare Duvaux: one pair was delivered to M. de Presle on 7 November 1752 for 360 livres, another to M. d’Azincourt on 2 October 1754 for 432 livres. A pair of turquoise-glazed parrots were later supplied to Marie-Antoinette for Versailles, and are illustrated in P. Verlet, Les Bronzes Dorés Français du XVIIIe Siècle, Paris, 1987, p. 26, ill. 12.