What defines 18th-century Sevres-style porcelain?

Sevres porcelain from the late 18th century is characterized by soft-paste or hard-paste ceramic bodies decorated with vibrant ground colours, such as cobalt blue (*bleu de Roi*), intricate hand-gilding, and fine hand-painted miniature scenes depicting historical, classical, or pastoral subjects.

What materials and techniques were used to construct antique gilt porcelain platters?

These pieces were crafted from kaolin clay bodies that were fired, glazed, and painted with metallic oxide enamels. Additional decoration was executed with pure leaf gold or liquid gold gilding, which was fired at lower temperatures and subsequently burnished to create rich tactile ornamentation.

How do you identify authentic 18th-century French Sevres porcelain?

Authentic examples typically feature factory marks on the underside, such as the interlaced Ls enclosing date letters, accompanied by specific painter or gilder symbols. Magnification will reveal hand-painted enamel brushwork, soft-paste body characteristics on earlier items, and subtle wear patterns on gilded surfaces consistent with age.

How can a decorative porcelain dish be styled in a modern interior?

A decorated porcelain dish can be displayed upright on a mahogany or brass plate stand positioned on a sideboard, console table, or mantelpiece. Alternatively, securing the platter within a shallow wall frame or glass display cabinet creates a sophisticated decorative accent.

What is the recommended method for cleaning and preserving antique porcelain?

Clean antique enamel and gilt porcelain gently using a dry microfibre cloth or a soft artists brush to remove surface dust. Avoid liquid detergents, abrasive cleaning agents, and immersion in water, which can undermine delicate overglaze enamels and original gilding.

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Bleu De Roi Porcelain

Gilt Porcelain Charger

Antique Porcelain Charger Dish

Id #SA975968

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Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th Century

18th century

For Sale by Regent Antiques

Description

This is an important decorative antique French Sevres oval porcelain dish, the rear with underglaze blue interlaced LL factory Sevres mark, late 18th century in date.

The oval border is a striking Bleu Royal colour and the centre is masterfully hand painted with a scene depicting the Battle of Ravenna. The gilt and 'jewelled' fleur de lys border is interspersed with six panels hand painted with portraits. The rear bears the interlaced L marks for Sevres, and the names and titles of the portraits in blue.

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

Condition:

In excellent condition with no chips, cracks or signs of repair, and only very minor signs of wear comensurate with age and use, please see photos for confirmation of condition.

Dimensions in cm:

Height 3 x Width 35 x Depth 25

Dimensions in inches:

Height 1 inch x Width 1 foot, 2 inches x Depth 10 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

Physical Dimensions

Height

3cm (1.18")

Width

35cm (13.78")

Depth

25cm (9.84")

Declaration

Regent Antiques has dated this French Porcelain Oval Dish to the 18th Century.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA975968

Dealers Internal Reference

A3237

Description

This is an important decorative antique French Sevres oval porcelain dish, the rear with underglaze blue interlaced LL factory Sevres mark, late 18th century in date.

“

The oval border is a striking Bleu Royal colour and the centre is masterfully hand painted with a scene depicting the Battle of Ravenna.

Regent Antiques

The gilt and 'jewelled' fleur de lys border is interspersed with six panels hand painted with portraits. The rear bears the interlaced L marks for Sevres, and the names and titles of the portraits in blue.

fig 1. An antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 1. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th Century

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

Condition:

In excellent condition with no chips, cracks or signs of repair, and only very minor signs of wear comensurate with age and use, please see photos for confirmation of condition.

fig 2. An antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 2. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th Century

Dimensions in cm:

Height 3 x Width 35 x Depth 25

Dimensions in inches:

Height 1 inch x Width 1 foot, 2 inches x Depth 10 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 antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 3. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th 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 antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 4. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th 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 antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 5. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th 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 antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 6. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th 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 antique French oval porcelain dish featuring a central hand-painted historical battle scene surrounded by a cobalt blue border with gilt lattice work and portrait cartouches. — fig 7. Antique French Sevres Oval Porcelain Dish Late 18th 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