What defines 19th-century French Sevres-style porcelain?

Sevres-style porcelain originates from the traditions established by the French national manufactory in the 18th century, characterized by detailed hand-painted enamelling, heavy gilding, and rich ground colours such as cobalt blue.

What materials and techniques are involved in producing reticulated porcelain?

Reticulated porcelain is crafted from fine porcelain clay, where intricate lattice patterns are hand-cut from the wet clay body prior to the initial firing, followed by glaze application, hand painting, and gilding.

How can authentic late 19th-century French porcelain be identified?

Authentic pieces generally display precise hand-painted detail rather than transfer prints, fine-quality gilding, crisp reticulation cuts, and period-appropriate makers marks or interlaced letters painted under or over the glaze.

How can an antique porcelain dish be styled in a modern interior?

An antique porcelain dish can be placed as a decorative focal point on a sideboard, console table, or dining surface, displayed either unadorned to showcase the central floral artwork or filled with neutral decorative items.

How should antique gilded porcelain be cleaned and preserved?

Gilded porcelain should be cleaned gently by hand using lukewarm water and mild liquid soap, avoiding abrasive sponges, harsh chemical cleaners, or immersion in hot water, and kept out of dishwashers.

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19th Century Sevres Dish

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Id #SA1036893

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Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

Name: Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA1036893
Price: 450 GBP
Availability: InStock

19th century

For Sale by Regent Antiques

Description

This is a decorative antique French Sevres oval porcelain dish, dating from Circa 1880.

The oval pierced borderwith gilt highlights with a striking Bleu Royal inner border, the centre masterfully hand painted with flowers, the border interspersed with six panels hand painted with floral sprays. The rear bears the blue interlaced LL marks for Sevres.

There is no mistaking the quality and unique design of this dish which is sure to be a treasured addition to your home.

Condition:

In excellent condition with no chips, cracks or signs of repair, please see photos for confirmation of condition.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 7 cm x Width 31 cm x Depth 19 cm

Dimensions in inches:

Height 3 inches x Width 1 foot x Depth 7 inches

Sevres Porcelain

traces its roots in France to early craftsmen who had small manufacturing operations in such places as Lille, Rouen. St. Cloud, and most notably Chantilly. It is from Chantilly that a cadre of workers migrated to the Chateau de Vincennes near Paris to form a larger porcelain manufactory in 1738.

French King Louis XV, perhaps inspired by his rumoured relationship with mistress Madame de Pompadour, took an intense interest in porcelain and moved the operation in 1756 to even larger quarters in the Paris suburb of Sevres. Sevres was also conveniently near the home of Madame de Pompadour and the King's own Palace at Versailles.

From the outset the king's clear aim was to produce Sevres Porcelain that surpassed the established Saxony works of Meissen and Dresden. Though the French lacked an ample supply of kaolin, a required ingredient for hard-paste porcelain (pate dure), their soft-paste porcelain (pate tendre) was fired at a lower temperature and was thus compatible with a wider variety of colours and glazes that in many cases were also richer and more vivid. Unglazed white Sevres Porcelain "biscuit" figurines were also a great success. However, soft-paste Sevres Porcelain was more easily broken. Therefore, early pieces of Sevres Porcelain that remain intact have become rare indeed.

The Sevres Porcelain manufactory always seemed to be in dire financial straits despite the incredibly fine works it produced. In fact, the king's insistence that only the finest items be created may have contributed to the difficulties. Only a limited number of European nobility could afford the extravagant prices demanded for such works. King Louis XV and eventually his heir, the ill-fated Louis XVI, were obliged to invest heavily in the enterprise. Ultimately, the Sevres Porcelain Factory produced items under the name of "Royal" and thus the well-known Sevres mark was born. King Louis XV even mandated laws that severely restricted other porcelain production in France so as to retain a near monopoly for his Sevres Porcelain. The king even willingly became chief salesman for the finest of his products, hosting an annual New Year's Day showing for French nobility in his private quarters at Versailles. He eagerly circulated among potential buyers, pitching the merits of ownership and policing the occasional light-fingered guest.

Sevres Porcelain may have indeed given the makers of Meissen and Dresden a run for their money by the end of the 18th Century but for the French Revolution. By 1800, the Sevres Porcelain Works were practically out of business due to the economic devastation of the new French Republic.

About the time when Napoleon Bonaparte named himself Emperor of France (1804), a new director was named for the Sevres Porcelain Manufactory. Alexandre Brongniart, highly educated in many fields, resurrected Sevres Porcelain. Soft-paste porcelain was eliminated altogether thanks to the earlier discovery of kaolin near Limoges. For four decades until his death, Brongniart presided over monumental progress for Sevres Porcelain, catering not only to Napoleon himself, but at la

Physical Dimensions

Height

7cm (2.76")

Width

31cm (12.20")

Depth

19cm (7.48")

Declaration

Regent Antiques has dated this Antique Sevres Porcelain Dish to the 1880s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA1036893

Dealers Internal Reference

A3473

Description

This is a decorative antique French Sevres oval porcelain dish, dating from Circa 1880.

The oval pierced borderwith gilt highlights with a striking Bleu Royal inner border, the centre masterfully hand painted with flowers, the border interspersed with six panels hand painted with floral sprays. The rear bears the blue interlaced LL marks for Sevres.

“

There is no mistaking the quality and unique design of this dish which is sure to be a treasured addition to your home.

Regent Antiques

fig 1. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 1. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

Condition:

In excellent condition with no chips, cracks or signs of repair, please see photos for confirmation of condition.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 7 cm x Width 31 cm x Depth 19 cm

Dimensions in inches:

fig 2. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 2. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

Height 3 inches x Width 1 foot x Depth 7 inches

Sevres Porcelain

traces its roots in France to early craftsmen who had small manufacturing operations in such places as Lille, Rouen. St. Cloud, and most notably Chantilly. It is from Chantilly that a cadre of workers migrated to the Chateau de Vincennes near Paris to form a larger porcelain manufactory in 1738.

fig 3. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 3. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

French King Louis XV, perhaps inspired by his rumoured relationship with mistress Madame de Pompadour, took an intense interest in porcelain and moved the operation in 1756 to even larger quarters in the Paris suburb of Sevres. Sevres was also conveniently near the home of Madame de Pompadour and the King's own Palace at Versailles.

fig 4. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 4. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

From the outset the king's clear aim was to produce Sevres Porcelain that surpassed the established Saxony works of Meissen and Dresden. Though the French lacked an ample supply of kaolin, a required ingredient for hard-paste porcelain (pate dure), their soft-paste porcelain (pate tendre) was fired at a lower temperature and was thus compatible with a wider variety of colours and glazes that in many cases were also richer and more vivid. Unglazed white Sevres Porcelain "biscuit" figurines were also a great success. However, soft-paste Sevres Porcelain was more easily broken. Therefore, early pieces of Sevres Porcelain that remain intact have become rare indeed.

fig 5. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 5. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

The Sevres Porcelain manufactory always seemed to be in dire financial straits despite the incredibly fine works it produced. In fact, the king's insistence that only the finest items be created may have contributed to the difficulties. Only a limited number of European nobility could afford the extravagant prices demanded for such works. King Louis XV and eventually his heir, the ill-fated Louis XVI, were obliged to invest heavily in the enterprise. Ultimately, the Sevres Porcelain Factory produced items under the name of "Royal" and thus the well-known Sevres mark was born. King Louis XV even mandated laws that severely restricted other porcelain production in France so as to retain a near monopoly for his Sevres Porcelain. The king even willingly became chief salesman for the finest of his products, hosting an annual New Year's Day showing for French nobility in his private quarters at Versailles. He eagerly circulated among potential buyers, pitching the merits of ownership and policing the occasional light-fingered guest.

fig 6. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 6. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

Sevres Porcelain may have indeed given the makers of Meissen and Dresden a run for their money by the end of the 18th Century but for the French Revolution. By 1800, the Sevres Porcelain Works were practically out of business due to the economic devastation of the new French Republic.

fig 7. An oval late 19th-century French porcelain dish with reticulated pierced edges, cobalt blue gilded borders, and central hand-painted floral motifs. — fig 7. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 19th Century

About the time when Napoleon Bonaparte named himself Emperor of France (1804), a new director was named for the Sevres Porcelain Manufactory. Alexandre Brongniart, highly educated in many fields, resurrected Sevres Porcelain. Soft-paste porcelain was eliminated altogether thanks to the earlier discovery of kaolin near Limoges. For four decades until his death, Brongniart presided over monumental progress for Sevres Porcelain, catering not only to Napoleon himself, but at la