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Lot Essay
This striking chinoiserie Sèvres vase, with its sumptuous decoration, almost certainly formed part of a garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ decorated by Jean-Jacques Dieu in 1777, for which he received a substantial payment of 450 livres, and which was sold to King Louis XVI in 1777. It is one of a small number of Sèvres Royal garnitures, vases and wares which were decorated in this distinctive style, which was in production for a very short time at the factory from 1775 -1785. The garniture of five vases, was very likely to have been produced in three different sizes, with all five vases richly decorated with related chinoiseries. Although it is not known when the garniture was dispersed, the pair of vases ‘chinois’ 2ème grandeur are illustrated in the celebrated collection of Edouard Chappey, sold in Paris in 1907. It is probable that the pair of vases were then acquired by Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch and presented as a lavish Imperial gift to his mistress, Madame Elizabeta Balletta, the prima ballerina at the Imperial Mikhailovsky Theatre, St Petersburg. The pair of vases were sold in Elizabeta Balletta’s collection sale, in Paris in 1912. Subsequently, the vases entered the renowned collection of Juan de Beistegui, where they appear in a photograph, on a chimneypiece in the l’Hôtel de Lannes, Paris in 1965. The whereabouts of the other vases once forming part of this important Royal garniture, are at present, unknown.
Vase ‘chinois’ or ‘à pied de globe’
Made in four sizes and in three different models, the vase ‘chinois’ or ‘à pied de globe’ was probably modelled by Jean-Claude Dupleissis, père (c.1695-1774), the innovative designer, gilt-bronze worker, goldsmith and sculptor who was directeur artistique at the manufactory from 1748. The surviving plaster model of the vase ‘chinois’, with ‘Mandarin’-shaped handles and the five original drawings of the shape, one of which is inscribed ‘Vase urne Dupleissis’, are preserved in the Sèvres archives and are illustrated by Rosalind Savill, see The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, Vol. I, London, 1988, pp. 357-364. The shape was also known as vase ‘à pied de globe’, on account of an inscribed drawing of a pair of vases of this form, by Jean-Baptiste-Etienne Genest.1 These vases are now in the Wallace Collection, see Savill, op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 372-83, C312-13 . The design was later retitled ‘Chinois’, which confusingly, also refers to vases of a different model.2 Savill categorises the present vase as ‘Shape C’, with a square plinth base. The vase ‘chinois’ is first recorded in 1769 and the present variation of the design was produced from circa 1777. Examples of ‘Shape C’ are known in hard paste porcelain only and in the1èr, 2ème and 3ème grandeur.
Sèvres Archival Sources
The Sèvres Sales Registers record several pairs and garnitures of three and five vases ‘chinois’ sold between 1773 and 1788, almost all of which were purchased by Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette or by a member of the Royal family. The full list of sales of vases ‘chinois’ is transcribed by Savill, see op. cit, Vol. I, p. 364. Entries in the archives suggest that the present vase is almost certainly one of a garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ acquired by King Louis XVI in 1777 for 4,300 livres and is recorded in the Sèvres Sales Registers on 6 June 1778: ‘Vente au Roy, Pendant l’année 1777….1 Garniture de cinq vases, Chinois’.3 A payment of 450 livres was made to the painter and gilder Jean-Jacques Dieu on 10 January 1777 for the decoration of five vases ‘chinois’, with the decoration recorded, importantly, as ‘Chinois’, see the Registre de paiements des peintres on 10 January 1777: ‘1 Garniture de cinq vases Chinois’.4 The Registre de paiements des peintres starts in 1777 and there are no records for the previous years, other than the Registre des paiements des Travaux Extraordinaires. The garniture of ‘cinq vases ‘Chinois’ is also recorded in the Travaux Extraordinaires of 1777, under the name of Dieu and with the same payment of 450 livres.5 This payment is a significant sum, being over 10% of the purchase price paid by the King for the garniture of five vases in 1777.6 With such richly applied chinoiserie decoration, this garniture would have almost certainly been a lavish purchase by the King, for which Dieu was handsomely paid.
Jean-Jacques Dieu was a gilder and painter, specialising in ‘chinois’ decoration at the Sèvres factory, working intermittently from 1776 to 1805.7 He decorated many of the finest chinoiserie inspired porcelain at the Royal manufactory during this period, and archival sources indicate that he was one of the most productive painters of figures.8 He arrived at the factory in 1776, although there are no records of him decorating any vases in that year. Importantly, there are also no records of any payments to Dieu in 1778, or in the following years, for any other vases ‘chinois’ with chinoiserie decoration, other than examples with red and yellow ground colours. It is also evident from other chinoiserie vases by Dieu, that his style of painting had altered by 1780, see the garniture of three chinoiserie yellow-ground vases painted by Dieu in 1780 and purchased by the comte de Provence, now in the Gardiner Museum, Toronto.9 The present vase was painted by Dieu in 1777 (or possibly late in 1776 and completed and paid for in 1777) and as such, almost certainly formed part of the garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ acquired by Louis XVI in 1777.
Entries in the Sales Registers indicate that there are two garnitures of five vases which were sold between 1776 to 1780. This includes the example discussed above, sold to Louis XVI in 1777 for 4,200 livres with ‘Chinois’ decoration, and a garniture of five vases acquired by the Ambassador of Sardinia in November 1778 for 3,840 livres. There are no descriptive details for the Ambassador’s purchase.10 It is very likely that the garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ purchased by the King in 1777 would have comprised vases in three different sizes, of which the present example is 2ème grandeur. This, in conjunction with the absence of ormolu mounts, would explain the difference in price paid for the garniture of five vases acquired by the King in 1777 (4,200 livres) when compared to three near identical garnitures of three ormolu-mounted chinoiserie vases ‘oeufs’, which were each purchased for 3,000 livres.
Sèvres chinoiserie vases ‘oeufs’ à monter
The chinoiserie decoration on the present vase relates to a group of three garnitures of three Sèvres hard paste chinoiserie vases ‘oeufs’, which were made between 1774 and 1776. Each is decorated in a chinoiserie style by the artist Louis-François Lécot11 and with mounts attributed to Duplessis, père. The first garniture was acquired by Monsieur, comte de Provence at the traditional exhibition/sale held at Versailles in the King’s dining room on 24 December 1775: ‘une garniture de vases Chinois….3000 livres’. This garniture is probably the example that is now in a private collection, see ‘Princely Taste, Treasures from Great Private Collections’, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Exhibition Catalogue, 1995, p. 133. The second garniture was purchased by Marie Antoinette in 1776 for 3,000 livres. It is decorated with chinoiseries by Lécot, after designs by Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1808) and is dated 1775-1776. It was placed in the Queen’s private apartments, probably within the lavishly redecorated Le Cabinet Doré, before being moved to St. Cloud after 1785.12 When placed in Le Cabinet Doré, this garniture would have complemented Marie Antoinette’s taste for white and gold decorative schemes. This garniture is preserved in the collection of the château de Versailles (see object nos. V5225.1-3). The third ‘Garniture de 3 Vases, chinois…3,000 livres’ was purchased by General Smith in 1778.13 This was almost certainly the garniture of three Sèvres vases ‘oeufs’ decorated by Lécot and dated 1775 and 1776, which was in the Garbisch Collection; sold Sotheby's New York, 17 May 1980, lot 179 and also the Riahi Collection; sold Christie’s, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 30.
A garniture of three lilac-ground vases ‘oeufs’, painted by Dieu in 1779 (for which he was paid 288 livres) was purchased by Louis XVI for 3,600 livres in 1780.14 This garniture was presented by the King to Madame Elisabeth and is now divided between the château de Versailles and the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Although the chinoiseries are more densely grouped, perhaps due to the limitations of space, it is interesting to note that Dieu has used some of the same decorative devices, including the immortal riding a crane and a figure in a wheelchair, see the pair of vases in the collection of the château de Versailles (see object nos. V201927.1 & 2).
A number of vases ‘chinois’ of ‘type C’ are recorded, including a garniture of three vases in the Musée National de Céramique de Sèvres (one of the 2ème grandeur and two of the 3ème grandeur) which are decorated with military scenes on a white ground (see inv. nos. 24801-3). A vase in the first size, decorated with a blue ground and gilded with nymphs, was in the Royal Collection, London, see G. Laking, The Sèvres Porcelain of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, London 1907, p. 184, no. 339. A fond bleu agate-ground vase ‘chinois’ decorated in gilding with chinoiseries, from the Collection of Jacques Garcia was sold by Sotheby’s, Paris, on 16 May 2023, see lot 47. A pair of fond bleu agate-ground vases ‘chinois’, which were acquired by Louis XVI in 1778 for 600 livres each, sold in the same sale, see lot 46.
Chinoiserie Decoration
The fashion for chinoiserie began to appear in European art and decoration in the mid-to-late 17th century, reaching its height of popularity in the 18th century. The importation of goods from China to Europe and the proliferation of fanciful images and descriptions of China fuelled its popularity. Sèvres became a leading proponent of this new and fashionable chinoiserie rococo style. Gabriel Huquier, l’aîné (1695-1772) produced a series of chinoiserie etchings, titled Scènes de la vue Chinoise, after François Boucher (1703-1770), which were some of the first to be transposed on to Vincennes and Sèvres porcelain. The vibrant ‘Chinois’ decoration seen on the present vase of circa 1777 is stylistically very different to the mid-18th century Sèvres interpretation of rococo chinoiserie. This stylistic change was in part driven by the development of hard paste porcelain at the manufactory.
The discovery of kaolin at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche lead to a series of experiments at the manufactory, culminating in the successful production of hard paste porcelain in 1769. The techniques and materials that had previously been used on soft paste porcelain were no longer suitable for this new porcelain surface. New enamels and ground colours were developed, alongside new decorative techniques and importantly a more fluid-type of gilding in different hues.15 The use of this newly developed and cheaper type of gilding, meant that it could be used to decorate larger surface areas. It could also be shaded and enriched in different colours, or treated with a metallic wash to create a sense of depth. Dieu has adopted these new techniques on the present vase. In order to accentuate the luminosity of the palette, the figures are outlined in gilding, with the use of gilt highlights and shading to create depth, a technique that was also used in Chinese porcelain production.16
The bright palette seen on the present vase, is reminiscent of Chinese famille rose porcelain and Canton enamels, both of which were exported from China to Europe at this time. The luminous jewel-like colours are enhanced by the richness of the two-colour gilding and the brilliant white of the hard paste porcelain. The continuous scene on the vase depicts a group of figures playing musical instruments and carrying attributes, set within a fanciful landscape of pavilions, rockwork, trees and shrubs. The chinoiserie ornament has been carefully placed and is designed to work as a continuous narrative and the other vases ‘chinois’ in the garniture would have been decorated with related ornament.
Similar groupings of figures and devices, including the man in a wheelchair and the immortal riding a crane, also appear on Chinese porcelain and lacquer from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) through to the Qianlong period in the 18th century. A Ming Dynasty lacquered tray in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York, shows a group of the Eight Immortals, carrying attributes and awaiting the immortal Shoulao, God of Longevity, who flies on the back of a crane (see accession no. 2006.238). Dieu has loosely interpreted similar Chinese scenes, adapting them to meet the fashion for chinoiserie for his Royal patrons at the court of Versailles. Although Dieu has included some fanciful details such as the tall gilt obelisk-like device surmounted by a pagoda figure, the precise depiction and the careful placement of the figures, suggests that his inspiration came directly from Chinese decorative arts. This differs from the garniture of three vases ‘oeufs’, decorated by Lécot and acquired by Marie Antoinette in 1776, where some of the scenes are after designs by Pillement.
A number of purchases made by the Louis XVI during this period are testament to his taste for chinoiserie decoration. In 1774, the young King purchased a déjeuner decorated with chinoiseries for 600 livres,17 which is probably the déjeuner rubans, painted by Lécot, now in the collection of the château de Versailles (see object no. V535.1). In 1775 the King purchased a déjeuner for 730 livres, which is probably the déjeuner Paris, now in the Hermitage St. Petersburg.18 A pair of vases ‘jardin’, painted with chinoiseries and birds on a pink ground, were purchased in December 1780 by Louis XVI for 1,200 livres and were placed in the Grande Chambre du Roi at Versailles. They were subsequently moved to the King’s bedroom at the Château des Tuileries in 1791 and were sold in the Chappey Collection19 and are now preserved at the château de Versailles (see object no. V5851.1-2).
The provenance of the pair of vases ‘chinois’ is one of glamour, mystery and intrigue. It is not known when the garniture of five vases were dispersed, but the pair of vases ‘chinois' 2ème grandeur formed part of the renowned collection of Edouard Chappey, sold in Paris in 1907. They were purchased by Madame Guédu, for the large sum of 4,100 francs, probably on behalf of Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch (1850-1908), son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. The Grand Duke was Admiral General of the Imperial Army of Russia. He had a reputation as a dilettante who would lavish expensive gifts on his mistress, Elizabeth Balletta, the prima ballerina of the Imperial Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Madame Balletta was one of the most famous dancers of the period, first coming to the attention of Tsarevich Nicolas Alexandrovich and then going on to have a long-lasting relationship with his uncle, Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch. The Grand Duke built a new wing in his St. Petersburg Palace to accommodate Madame Balletta and he lavished her with sumptuous jewels, many of which, to the shock of the audience, she wore during her performances on stage. Lavish Imperial gifts from the Grand Duke to his mistress included many important items of Fabergé, some of which were exhibited during her lifetime. It is highly likely that the pair of vases ‘chinois’ would have been presented, as an impressive Imperial gift from the Grand Duke, to Madame Balletta. During the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, the Russians suffered two notable naval defeats, for which the Grand Duke was held partially responsible. His extravagant lifestyle, in conjunction with the embarrassment of the naval defeats, resulted in his retirement from military service. He fled to Paris with Madame Balletta, where they lived in luxury, until his death in 1908.
The pair of vases ‘chinois’ formed part of the acclaimed Madame Balletta collection sale, in Paris in 1912. They were purchased by a Parisian dealer, Maurice Houzeau for the large sum of 4,700 francs. Exhibited by Nicolier, in the Paris Biennale of 1964, the pair of vases were subsequently sold to the celebrated art collector, Juan de Beistegui, where they appear in a photograph of 1965, on the chimneypiece of the l’Hôtel de Lannes, rue de Varennes. Beistegui, heir to a mining fortune, was third generation in a family of renowned art collectors; he collected only the most exquisite pieces of French decorative arts, many of which have Royal provenance. The pair of Royal vases ‘chinois’ would have complemented his collection of French 18th century decorative arts.20 The pair of vases ‘chinois’ 2ème grandeur were separated some time after 1965 and the whereabouts of the other vases in this important Royal garniture, are at present, unknown.
1. Active at Sèvres from 1752 to 1788 and known primarily as a painter of figures, Genest became head of the Atelier de Peinture at the manufactory.
2. For a discussion of this form and illustrations of a pair of vases and two single vases ‘chinois’ in the Royal Collection, London, see Geoffrey de Bellaigue, Sèvres Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, Vol. I, London, 2009, pp. 312-322, cat. nos. 68, 69 & 70.
3. SR Vy'7 fo 19.
4. Vj’1 fo 119.
5. F19, 1777.
6. Sales records indicate that the price of an individual vase ‘chinois’ varied from 240 livres to 1,200 livres depending on the decoration and the type of ground colour.
7. Jean-Jacques Dieu worked at Sèvres from 1776-91, 1794-98 and 1801-05; his painter’s mark is a religious device incorporating the Hebrew word for ‘God’, an obvious play on his name.
8. See Tamara Préaud, Sèvres, la Chinese et les “chinoiseries” au XVIIIe siècle, The Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, 1989, Vol. 47, p. 44.
9. This garniture comprises a vase 'chinois nouvelle forme’ and a pair of vases 'cornet à têtes de morue’, decorated with chinoiseries scenes within neo-classical cartouches, see Inv. G83.1.1074.1-2-3.
10. A garniture of five vases des âges, painted by Asselin in 1777, could correspond to the five vases purchased by the Ambassador of Sardinia.
11. Lécot worked at the Sèvres factory from 1763 to 1765 and 1772 and 1802, as a gilder and a painter of chinoiseries, arabesques and butterflies.
12. An inventory of 1794 of Marie Antoinette’s appartements at the Château de Saint-Cloud, included: ‘une garniture de trois vases de porcelaine de Sèvres, fond blanc à dessins chinois, à gorges à jour, cordes, glands et anses en cuivre doré’. See Vincent Bastien, ‘Le Goût de la famille royale pour les pièces à décor chinois de la manufacture de Sèvres, La Chine à Versailles, Art et Diplomatie au XVIIIe siècle’, Exhibition Catalogue, 27 May-26 October 2014, no. 84, p. 238.
13. Vy7 fo 6.
14. Vy8, fo 45.
15. For a full discussion of this development, see Antoine d’Albis’s monograph, The Creation of Hard-Paste Porcelain Production at Sèvres, French Porcelain Society, 1998, XIII.
16. See Tamara Préaud, op. cit. 1989, Vol. 47, pp. 43-44.
17. Vy5, fo 245v
18. Vy6, fo 116v.
19. See the Collection Edouard Chappey, Paris; sold Galeries Georges Petit, Paris, 29 April – 3 May 1907, lot 1245.
20. See the Collection de Juan de Beistegui; sold Christie’s, Paris, 10 September 2018.
Vase ‘chinois’ or ‘à pied de globe’
Made in four sizes and in three different models, the vase ‘chinois’ or ‘à pied de globe’ was probably modelled by Jean-Claude Dupleissis, père (c.1695-1774), the innovative designer, gilt-bronze worker, goldsmith and sculptor who was directeur artistique at the manufactory from 1748. The surviving plaster model of the vase ‘chinois’, with ‘Mandarin’-shaped handles and the five original drawings of the shape, one of which is inscribed ‘Vase urne Dupleissis’, are preserved in the Sèvres archives and are illustrated by Rosalind Savill, see The Wallace Collection, Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, Vol. I, London, 1988, pp. 357-364. The shape was also known as vase ‘à pied de globe’, on account of an inscribed drawing of a pair of vases of this form, by Jean-Baptiste-Etienne Genest.1 These vases are now in the Wallace Collection, see Savill, op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 372-83, C312-13 . The design was later retitled ‘Chinois’, which confusingly, also refers to vases of a different model.2 Savill categorises the present vase as ‘Shape C’, with a square plinth base. The vase ‘chinois’ is first recorded in 1769 and the present variation of the design was produced from circa 1777. Examples of ‘Shape C’ are known in hard paste porcelain only and in the1èr, 2ème and 3ème grandeur.
Sèvres Archival Sources
The Sèvres Sales Registers record several pairs and garnitures of three and five vases ‘chinois’ sold between 1773 and 1788, almost all of which were purchased by Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette or by a member of the Royal family. The full list of sales of vases ‘chinois’ is transcribed by Savill, see op. cit, Vol. I, p. 364. Entries in the archives suggest that the present vase is almost certainly one of a garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ acquired by King Louis XVI in 1777 for 4,300 livres and is recorded in the Sèvres Sales Registers on 6 June 1778: ‘Vente au Roy, Pendant l’année 1777….1 Garniture de cinq vases, Chinois’.3 A payment of 450 livres was made to the painter and gilder Jean-Jacques Dieu on 10 January 1777 for the decoration of five vases ‘chinois’, with the decoration recorded, importantly, as ‘Chinois’, see the Registre de paiements des peintres on 10 January 1777: ‘1 Garniture de cinq vases Chinois’.4 The Registre de paiements des peintres starts in 1777 and there are no records for the previous years, other than the Registre des paiements des Travaux Extraordinaires. The garniture of ‘cinq vases ‘Chinois’ is also recorded in the Travaux Extraordinaires of 1777, under the name of Dieu and with the same payment of 450 livres.5 This payment is a significant sum, being over 10% of the purchase price paid by the King for the garniture of five vases in 1777.6 With such richly applied chinoiserie decoration, this garniture would have almost certainly been a lavish purchase by the King, for which Dieu was handsomely paid.
Jean-Jacques Dieu was a gilder and painter, specialising in ‘chinois’ decoration at the Sèvres factory, working intermittently from 1776 to 1805.7 He decorated many of the finest chinoiserie inspired porcelain at the Royal manufactory during this period, and archival sources indicate that he was one of the most productive painters of figures.8 He arrived at the factory in 1776, although there are no records of him decorating any vases in that year. Importantly, there are also no records of any payments to Dieu in 1778, or in the following years, for any other vases ‘chinois’ with chinoiserie decoration, other than examples with red and yellow ground colours. It is also evident from other chinoiserie vases by Dieu, that his style of painting had altered by 1780, see the garniture of three chinoiserie yellow-ground vases painted by Dieu in 1780 and purchased by the comte de Provence, now in the Gardiner Museum, Toronto.9 The present vase was painted by Dieu in 1777 (or possibly late in 1776 and completed and paid for in 1777) and as such, almost certainly formed part of the garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ acquired by Louis XVI in 1777.
Entries in the Sales Registers indicate that there are two garnitures of five vases which were sold between 1776 to 1780. This includes the example discussed above, sold to Louis XVI in 1777 for 4,200 livres with ‘Chinois’ decoration, and a garniture of five vases acquired by the Ambassador of Sardinia in November 1778 for 3,840 livres. There are no descriptive details for the Ambassador’s purchase.10 It is very likely that the garniture of five vases ‘chinois’ purchased by the King in 1777 would have comprised vases in three different sizes, of which the present example is 2ème grandeur. This, in conjunction with the absence of ormolu mounts, would explain the difference in price paid for the garniture of five vases acquired by the King in 1777 (4,200 livres) when compared to three near identical garnitures of three ormolu-mounted chinoiserie vases ‘oeufs’, which were each purchased for 3,000 livres.
Sèvres chinoiserie vases ‘oeufs’ à monter
The chinoiserie decoration on the present vase relates to a group of three garnitures of three Sèvres hard paste chinoiserie vases ‘oeufs’, which were made between 1774 and 1776. Each is decorated in a chinoiserie style by the artist Louis-François Lécot11 and with mounts attributed to Duplessis, père. The first garniture was acquired by Monsieur, comte de Provence at the traditional exhibition/sale held at Versailles in the King’s dining room on 24 December 1775: ‘une garniture de vases Chinois….3000 livres’. This garniture is probably the example that is now in a private collection, see ‘Princely Taste, Treasures from Great Private Collections’, the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Exhibition Catalogue, 1995, p. 133. The second garniture was purchased by Marie Antoinette in 1776 for 3,000 livres. It is decorated with chinoiseries by Lécot, after designs by Jean-Baptiste Pillement (1728-1808) and is dated 1775-1776. It was placed in the Queen’s private apartments, probably within the lavishly redecorated Le Cabinet Doré, before being moved to St. Cloud after 1785.12 When placed in Le Cabinet Doré, this garniture would have complemented Marie Antoinette’s taste for white and gold decorative schemes. This garniture is preserved in the collection of the château de Versailles (see object nos. V5225.1-3). The third ‘Garniture de 3 Vases, chinois…3,000 livres’ was purchased by General Smith in 1778.13 This was almost certainly the garniture of three Sèvres vases ‘oeufs’ decorated by Lécot and dated 1775 and 1776, which was in the Garbisch Collection; sold Sotheby's New York, 17 May 1980, lot 179 and also the Riahi Collection; sold Christie’s, New York, 2 November 2000, lot 30.
A garniture of three lilac-ground vases ‘oeufs’, painted by Dieu in 1779 (for which he was paid 288 livres) was purchased by Louis XVI for 3,600 livres in 1780.14 This garniture was presented by the King to Madame Elisabeth and is now divided between the château de Versailles and the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. Although the chinoiseries are more densely grouped, perhaps due to the limitations of space, it is interesting to note that Dieu has used some of the same decorative devices, including the immortal riding a crane and a figure in a wheelchair, see the pair of vases in the collection of the château de Versailles (see object nos. V201927.1 & 2).
A number of vases ‘chinois’ of ‘type C’ are recorded, including a garniture of three vases in the Musée National de Céramique de Sèvres (one of the 2ème grandeur and two of the 3ème grandeur) which are decorated with military scenes on a white ground (see inv. nos. 24801-3). A vase in the first size, decorated with a blue ground and gilded with nymphs, was in the Royal Collection, London, see G. Laking, The Sèvres Porcelain of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, London 1907, p. 184, no. 339. A fond bleu agate-ground vase ‘chinois’ decorated in gilding with chinoiseries, from the Collection of Jacques Garcia was sold by Sotheby’s, Paris, on 16 May 2023, see lot 47. A pair of fond bleu agate-ground vases ‘chinois’, which were acquired by Louis XVI in 1778 for 600 livres each, sold in the same sale, see lot 46.
Chinoiserie Decoration
The fashion for chinoiserie began to appear in European art and decoration in the mid-to-late 17th century, reaching its height of popularity in the 18th century. The importation of goods from China to Europe and the proliferation of fanciful images and descriptions of China fuelled its popularity. Sèvres became a leading proponent of this new and fashionable chinoiserie rococo style. Gabriel Huquier, l’aîné (1695-1772) produced a series of chinoiserie etchings, titled Scènes de la vue Chinoise, after François Boucher (1703-1770), which were some of the first to be transposed on to Vincennes and Sèvres porcelain. The vibrant ‘Chinois’ decoration seen on the present vase of circa 1777 is stylistically very different to the mid-18th century Sèvres interpretation of rococo chinoiserie. This stylistic change was in part driven by the development of hard paste porcelain at the manufactory.
The discovery of kaolin at Saint-Yrieix-la-Perche lead to a series of experiments at the manufactory, culminating in the successful production of hard paste porcelain in 1769. The techniques and materials that had previously been used on soft paste porcelain were no longer suitable for this new porcelain surface. New enamels and ground colours were developed, alongside new decorative techniques and importantly a more fluid-type of gilding in different hues.15 The use of this newly developed and cheaper type of gilding, meant that it could be used to decorate larger surface areas. It could also be shaded and enriched in different colours, or treated with a metallic wash to create a sense of depth. Dieu has adopted these new techniques on the present vase. In order to accentuate the luminosity of the palette, the figures are outlined in gilding, with the use of gilt highlights and shading to create depth, a technique that was also used in Chinese porcelain production.16
The bright palette seen on the present vase, is reminiscent of Chinese famille rose porcelain and Canton enamels, both of which were exported from China to Europe at this time. The luminous jewel-like colours are enhanced by the richness of the two-colour gilding and the brilliant white of the hard paste porcelain. The continuous scene on the vase depicts a group of figures playing musical instruments and carrying attributes, set within a fanciful landscape of pavilions, rockwork, trees and shrubs. The chinoiserie ornament has been carefully placed and is designed to work as a continuous narrative and the other vases ‘chinois’ in the garniture would have been decorated with related ornament.
Similar groupings of figures and devices, including the man in a wheelchair and the immortal riding a crane, also appear on Chinese porcelain and lacquer from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) through to the Qianlong period in the 18th century. A Ming Dynasty lacquered tray in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum, New York, shows a group of the Eight Immortals, carrying attributes and awaiting the immortal Shoulao, God of Longevity, who flies on the back of a crane (see accession no. 2006.238). Dieu has loosely interpreted similar Chinese scenes, adapting them to meet the fashion for chinoiserie for his Royal patrons at the court of Versailles. Although Dieu has included some fanciful details such as the tall gilt obelisk-like device surmounted by a pagoda figure, the precise depiction and the careful placement of the figures, suggests that his inspiration came directly from Chinese decorative arts. This differs from the garniture of three vases ‘oeufs’, decorated by Lécot and acquired by Marie Antoinette in 1776, where some of the scenes are after designs by Pillement.
A number of purchases made by the Louis XVI during this period are testament to his taste for chinoiserie decoration. In 1774, the young King purchased a déjeuner decorated with chinoiseries for 600 livres,17 which is probably the déjeuner rubans, painted by Lécot, now in the collection of the château de Versailles (see object no. V535.1). In 1775 the King purchased a déjeuner for 730 livres, which is probably the déjeuner Paris, now in the Hermitage St. Petersburg.18 A pair of vases ‘jardin’, painted with chinoiseries and birds on a pink ground, were purchased in December 1780 by Louis XVI for 1,200 livres and were placed in the Grande Chambre du Roi at Versailles. They were subsequently moved to the King’s bedroom at the Château des Tuileries in 1791 and were sold in the Chappey Collection19 and are now preserved at the château de Versailles (see object no. V5851.1-2).
The provenance of the pair of vases ‘chinois’ is one of glamour, mystery and intrigue. It is not known when the garniture of five vases were dispersed, but the pair of vases ‘chinois' 2ème grandeur formed part of the renowned collection of Edouard Chappey, sold in Paris in 1907. They were purchased by Madame Guédu, for the large sum of 4,100 francs, probably on behalf of Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch (1850-1908), son of Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. The Grand Duke was Admiral General of the Imperial Army of Russia. He had a reputation as a dilettante who would lavish expensive gifts on his mistress, Elizabeth Balletta, the prima ballerina of the Imperial Mikhailovsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg. Madame Balletta was one of the most famous dancers of the period, first coming to the attention of Tsarevich Nicolas Alexandrovich and then going on to have a long-lasting relationship with his uncle, Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch. The Grand Duke built a new wing in his St. Petersburg Palace to accommodate Madame Balletta and he lavished her with sumptuous jewels, many of which, to the shock of the audience, she wore during her performances on stage. Lavish Imperial gifts from the Grand Duke to his mistress included many important items of Fabergé, some of which were exhibited during her lifetime. It is highly likely that the pair of vases ‘chinois’ would have been presented, as an impressive Imperial gift from the Grand Duke, to Madame Balletta. During the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, the Russians suffered two notable naval defeats, for which the Grand Duke was held partially responsible. His extravagant lifestyle, in conjunction with the embarrassment of the naval defeats, resulted in his retirement from military service. He fled to Paris with Madame Balletta, where they lived in luxury, until his death in 1908.
The pair of vases ‘chinois’ formed part of the acclaimed Madame Balletta collection sale, in Paris in 1912. They were purchased by a Parisian dealer, Maurice Houzeau for the large sum of 4,700 francs. Exhibited by Nicolier, in the Paris Biennale of 1964, the pair of vases were subsequently sold to the celebrated art collector, Juan de Beistegui, where they appear in a photograph of 1965, on the chimneypiece of the l’Hôtel de Lannes, rue de Varennes. Beistegui, heir to a mining fortune, was third generation in a family of renowned art collectors; he collected only the most exquisite pieces of French decorative arts, many of which have Royal provenance. The pair of Royal vases ‘chinois’ would have complemented his collection of French 18th century decorative arts.20 The pair of vases ‘chinois’ 2ème grandeur were separated some time after 1965 and the whereabouts of the other vases in this important Royal garniture, are at present, unknown.
1. Active at Sèvres from 1752 to 1788 and known primarily as a painter of figures, Genest became head of the Atelier de Peinture at the manufactory.
2. For a discussion of this form and illustrations of a pair of vases and two single vases ‘chinois’ in the Royal Collection, London, see Geoffrey de Bellaigue, Sèvres Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, Vol. I, London, 2009, pp. 312-322, cat. nos. 68, 69 & 70.
3. SR Vy'7 fo 19.
4. Vj’1 fo 119.
5. F19, 1777.
6. Sales records indicate that the price of an individual vase ‘chinois’ varied from 240 livres to 1,200 livres depending on the decoration and the type of ground colour.
7. Jean-Jacques Dieu worked at Sèvres from 1776-91, 1794-98 and 1801-05; his painter’s mark is a religious device incorporating the Hebrew word for ‘God’, an obvious play on his name.
8. See Tamara Préaud, Sèvres, la Chinese et les “chinoiseries” au XVIIIe siècle, The Journal of the Walters Art Gallery, 1989, Vol. 47, p. 44.
9. This garniture comprises a vase 'chinois nouvelle forme’ and a pair of vases 'cornet à têtes de morue’, decorated with chinoiseries scenes within neo-classical cartouches, see Inv. G83.1.1074.1-2-3.
10. A garniture of five vases des âges, painted by Asselin in 1777, could correspond to the five vases purchased by the Ambassador of Sardinia.
11. Lécot worked at the Sèvres factory from 1763 to 1765 and 1772 and 1802, as a gilder and a painter of chinoiseries, arabesques and butterflies.
12. An inventory of 1794 of Marie Antoinette’s appartements at the Château de Saint-Cloud, included: ‘une garniture de trois vases de porcelaine de Sèvres, fond blanc à dessins chinois, à gorges à jour, cordes, glands et anses en cuivre doré’. See Vincent Bastien, ‘Le Goût de la famille royale pour les pièces à décor chinois de la manufacture de Sèvres, La Chine à Versailles, Art et Diplomatie au XVIIIe siècle’, Exhibition Catalogue, 27 May-26 October 2014, no. 84, p. 238.
13. Vy7 fo 6.
14. Vy8, fo 45.
15. For a full discussion of this development, see Antoine d’Albis’s monograph, The Creation of Hard-Paste Porcelain Production at Sèvres, French Porcelain Society, 1998, XIII.
16. See Tamara Préaud, op. cit. 1989, Vol. 47, pp. 43-44.
17. Vy5, fo 245v
18. Vy6, fo 116v.
19. See the Collection Edouard Chappey, Paris; sold Galeries Georges Petit, Paris, 29 April – 3 May 1907, lot 1245.
20. See the Collection de Juan de Beistegui; sold Christie’s, Paris, 10 September 2018.