An assembled garniture of three Sèvres bleu-nouveau ground 'vases octogones' circa 1770

of the first and second size, each of tapering octagonal form, painted en grisaille probably by Genest, with a central panel of a profile medallion within a laurel wreath, the other panels with trophies of war suspended from ribbons, each reserve edged with gilded bands, the blue ground of the smaller pair overlaid with gilt oel de perdrix, the central vase with gilt acanthus leaves in between each panel extending to the shoulder,  the narrow neck of each with gadroons below a flat gilt rim, the gilt folded handles banded and pinned to the vase, on a short stem between discs applied with white cabochons within gilt ovals, the gadrooned cover with a round knop, mounted on gilt bronze bases of  Louis XVI style; finials on all three covers re-stuck
two vases of the second size with interlaced LL  in blue enclosing the letter date R; the vase of the first size with interlaced LL in blue, incised letters PT

The large vase: each panel with firing crack incorporated into the decoration, gilt rim with some flaking and possible re-gilding The pair of small vases: one socle partly detached during firing and filled with plaster, several panels with firing cracks incorporated into decoration, chip to top of one handle, minor gild flaking, knops of cover re-stuck.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The vase octogone was introduced in two sizes in 1769, the moulds valued 60 and 48 livres, the models 120 and 96 livres (MNS, I.7,1770, f° 6-7). The plaster model is preserved in the Sèvres archives and was labelled vase octogone in the 1814 inventory, Fig.1.
A pair of vases octogones of the second size, dated 1773, is preserved in the Wallace Collection (Rosalind Savill, Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, Vol. I, C316-17, Fig.2, pp. 289-290 and Marcelle Brunet and Tamara Préaud, Sèvres, dès origines à nos jours, Fribourg, 1978, p. 191, pl. 200). Another pair, possibly later decorated, was traced by Tamara Préaud in the Lapeyrière sale, Paris, of 19th April 1825 and in the Houssey sale, Paris, 16-19 March 1836, Fig.3 (Tamara Préaud, « Sèvres and Paris auction sales 1800-1847 »,  Lecture International Ceramics Fair and Seminar, 1997, pp. 27-28); they were later in the Dickins collection « The Dickins Collection of Porcelain », The Connoisseur, XVI, 1906, pp. 6 and 26.
In 1769, Jean Baptiste Etienne Genest, head of the painters' workshop, earned 72 livres for painting a « vase 8togo. 1^er. a Bandes En differens trophés et têtes en Bas relief » (MNS, overtime records F.11). This is very likely our vase of the first size, Fig. 4.
In the same year, Genest painted fifteen vases with grisaille scenes and/or trophies, heads and husk swags.
Eleven of these vases are identified today.
The detail of payments to Genest shows that the painting of the vase octogone was the more expensive :
He painted :
- 2 Grands Vazes en Consoles a 2 sujets de Bataille 2 d'attributs 4 têtes avec ornemens en Bas Relief and received 56 livres for each. One is preserved at the Wallace Collection (Rosalind Savill, op. cit., n° C311-13), the other at Waddesdon Manor (Svend Eriksen, The James A de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Sèvres porcelain, 1968, n° 86A, pp. 246-51).
- 2 vazes Idem [à pieds de globes] avec 2 Medaillons en Sacrifice 2. tetes Et ornemens and received 46 livres for each. This pair of vases chinois, dated 1769, is in the Wallace Collection (Rosalind Savill, op. cit.¸n° C.311-13)
- 2 Vazes a 2. sujets d'Enfans Et 2. attributs idem [en Bas Relief]  for 10 livres each.
- 2 idem [Vazes] a palmes a 4 têtes for 6 livres each. These two pairs are the vases à bandes and the vases à palmes at Waddesdon Manor (Svend Eriksen, op. cit., 1968, n° 86A, pp. 246-51).
- 2 Vazes a Bandes tournantes a 2 Sujets d'enfans 2. d'attributs 2 têtes avec ornemens le tout En Bas relief for which Genest received 25 livres each. These are the pair of vases cannelés à bandeau preserved in the Musée Condé, Chantilly (Tamara Préaud, Porcelaines du Musée Condé à Chantilly, 2005, n° 5, pp. 24-26)
- 2 idem [Vazes] Bachelier idem [ a 4 têtes] paid 6 livres each
- 2 petites vazes Bachelier, Guilrandes sur le Bl[eu] de Fallot at 4 livres each. The latest and one of first pair are in the Wernher Collection at Luton Hoo.
These eleven vases are all painted in grisaille and with polychrome garlands of incrustées flowers on a bleu Fallot ground.
Genest also painted 2 Idem [Vazes] a pieds de globes 2 sujets d'enfans 2 d'attributs 2 têtes avec ornements en bas relief for 36 livres each which are unlocated.
It has been suggested that the three unlocated vases from the set - the pair of vases chinois and the vase octogone - were painted with the same bleu Fallot ground as the eleven vases known (Rosalind Savill, op. cit., n° C311-13). There is no description of the ground colour in the Sèvres records and they could have been decorated with another ground.
Pierre Verlet has suggested the set was sold to Versailles in December 1769, Fig.5.  Fifteen vases d'ornements were listed : three at 720 livres, one at 600 livres, two at 528 livres, two at 480 livres, four at 432 livres, one at 128 livres and two at 108 livres sold to anonymous buyers. Five vases from this set have been identified by Pierre Ennès in the catalogue of the duc de Choiseul's sale on 18 December 1786. Chrisitan Baulez suggested that the pair of vases à bandes tournantes in the Musée Condée Chantilly were bought by Madame du Barry (Christian Baulez, « Sèvres, commandes et achats de Mme du Barry », L'Estampille/l'Objet d'art, avril 1992, pp.34-53).
The vase octogone might have been one of the three vases sold at 720 livres since Genest was paid the most for it. Our vase octogone of the first size is painted with six large trophies, one head and two husk swags; that perhaps explains the difference with payments to Genest for the other vases.
In an inventory drawn up in 1786 of the porcelain in the Château de Bellevue, in the Cabinet des Bains in the Appartment de Madame Victoire are listed: sur la commode, trois vases avec anses, porcelaine de Sevres, fond bleu de Roy, avec ornement en or et bas relief peint en grisaille. (Archives nationales, O1 3379, f° 17).