AROUND HOME : Sevres Porcelain
THIS FAMOUS decorative china, created by the national porcelain factory of France and still made today, was first produced in 1738. Throughout its long history, Sevres, named for the longtime location of the factory, has been formal, elegant, sophisticated and almost unashamedly high style. It is royal ware, with the crossed “L” cipher of Louis XV as its mark. A characteristic example is the 744-piece dinner service made for Catherine the Great of Russia in 1779: elaborate scenes and sumptuous decorations on a background of bleu celeste.
The first pieces, made at Chateau de Vincennes before Louis XV moved the works to Sevres, often bore Oriental or Rococo decorations in the Meissen style. But the graceful forms and soft colorings were distinctively French. During its finest period (1750-1770), characteristic colors included gros bleu , turquoise, yellow and rose Pompadour, set off by rich gilding, framed paintings of birds, landscapes and figures in the manner of Boucher.
After hard-paste porcelain was introduced in 1769, the ware became lighter and more delicate. Its imitations of Chinese Ming Dynasty eggshell porcelain were shown to the world at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London. Standards were high, and among the artists employed by the company over the years was the famous sculptor Auguste Rodin. Well into the 20th Century, Sevres has regularly used the talents of fine contemporary artists.
The factory is now located in the Paris suburb of St. Cloud. Recent examples sold at auction range from a bottles and stoppers decorated with portraits of Louis XIV and Princess de Lamballe to other pieces featuring one of Madame de Pompadour’s spaniels, symbolizing fidelity, and female figures in the Art Deco style. The factory has produced almost everything that can be created in porcelain: dinner services and tea services, commemorative bowls and vases and cachepots, busts and small statuaries.
Imitations of Sevres are common, but it is well to remember that 18th-Century colors are softer than those found today. Rose Pompadour, for example, is almost grayish in contrast to a shocking pink of the 1860s.
Look for Sevres porcelain at La Maison Francaise in Los Angeles; Richard Gould Antiques in Santa Monica; Speidel Antiques in Pacific Palisades ; Design Center Antiques in Pasadena; Snooty Fox Antiques in Ventura; Roberta Gauthey Antiques and Richard Yeakel Antiques in Laguna Beach, and San Diego Fine Arts in San Diego.