The Louis XV Service. A pair of Vincennes salad bowls (saladiers a mortier or jattes forme d'ancien) from the service made for Louis XV 1753

of deep ten-sided form, each painted  on a bleu celeste ground with panels of fruit and flowers within gilt rose-thorn borders, on later ormolu tripod bases set with a central tree support surrounded by small  Meissen-style swans among ormolu bulrushes

(The darker-ground bowl) :Louis XV, King of France, presumably part of the first delivery,  24th December 1753.  

(The two together, now mounted in ormolu), Robert von Hirsch, his sale, Sotheby's 23rd June 1978, vol.III, lot 525.

These bowls have been damaged in the past, the old restoration has been removed and they have recently been subject to 'museum restoration'. On close examination however, the extent and nature of the original damage is visible. Bowl with the crossed Ls and A mark: This bowl has a section of the rim which has been broken into three pieces, the total length of the damaged area measuring approximately 120mm. One of the angles of the exterior rim has a small restored chip. There is some fine scratching to the interior of the bowl. There is some wear to the thorn gilding around the reserves to the exterior and a little to that edging the turquoise ground area in the interior. The original dentil gilding around the exterior of the deep rim also has some wear. The gilded trellis on the flanged rim (probably a later addition) has largely disappeared on one of the bowl's ten sides. A gilded insect to the exterior of the bowl (also possibly a later addition) is partly rubbed. Bowl with crossed Ls mark This bowl has been broken into several pieces and restored. Essentially, it was broken in half with each side then subdividing further into larger and smaller pieces. Looking into the interior, the two largest pieces (A and B) flank the main break and are located in the side of the bowl. At the outer edge of the left–hand piece (A) there is an associated crack running down from the rim for 50mm towards the base. At the point where A and B abut (along the line of the central break), there is a small area in-filled by the restorer approximately 18mm long and 5mm wide at its longest and widest points. Also at their outer edges where A and B adjoin the rim, there is some restored minute chipping along the edge of the breaks and very small areas of in-fill to the rim. In the centre, at the point where the main crack adjoins the rim, there are two small broken sections with associated chipping. Moving towards the opposite side, again looking into the bowl, a further fragment (adjoining the main crack) has been broken out of the base. It incorporates the footrim and measures approx. 100 x 20mm at its longest and widest points. Almost opposite the side with A and B, there is a separate narrow break to the rim, approximately 50mm long with an associated rim chip at the angle of the rim. There are also two shallow glaze chips along the line of the break. There is some fine scratching to the interior and some wear/rubbing to the gilt dentil rim. Mounts One of the Samson swans is severely damaged with its head and one wing lacking. Most of the metal bulrushes have been bent out of shape. The metal rings around the footrims of the bowls would originally have been screwed into the holes in the gilt-bronze tree branches. The bowls are currently detached and the screws are missing.
"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 Louis Quinze service was the first extensive service made at the Sevres factory, and was delivered to Versailles in three batches over two years, 1753 and 1754. In total, the service comprised 1,749 pieces, with a number of later additions and replacements.

Both the celebrated ground colour and many of the forms themselves were expressly created for the service, setting the Sevres style for the factory's most influential and important years.

The complicated history of the manufacture and supply of this service, and related pieces  which seem to have been held back or eventually delivered to other buyers, has been largely disentangled by David Peters, to whom we owe thanks for his assistance.

In this instance, it seems most likely that the darker-ground bowl formed part of the initial delivery of the service to the King at Versailles, while the other bowl, with its paler ground colour and weaker gilding, may have been intended for the service, but held back, or even unfinished and gilded later.