A Sèvres plate, circa 1805

of Service Olympique-type, painted at the centre with Narcissus and Cupid upon a pale blue ground, the 'Pompeian-red' ground border reserving six gilt medallions highlighted with green rosettes, stencilled M. N. Sevres -//- in iron-red, inscribed in purple no.27. NARCISSE et l'AMOUR/éteignant son flambeau., Vre. le Guay. Ft., incised GMo, // to inside of footrim,

Comparative Literature
Albert Baca and Irina Gorbatova, 'Le Service Olympique au Musée des Armures du Kremlin', Revue de la Société du Musée National de Céramique, n°5, 1996

There is a flat chip to the rim of the plate located on the reverse at 3 o'clock, measuring approximately 1.3cm. x 0.6cm. There is some scattered surface scratching to the enamels on the face of the dish, particularly at the rockwork. Some minor flakes to the inner gilded band.
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Production on the Service Olympique began in 1805 and was completed by the following year, it consisted of 140 pieces including 68 plates. The service was delivered to the Tuileries Palace in August 1807 and was used as part of the celebrations for the marriage of Princess Catharina of Wüttemberg to Napoleon's brother Jérome. Napoleon then presented the service as a gift to Tsar Alexander I of Russia after they both signed Treaty of Tilsit. A large portion of the service is still in Russia housed in the Armouries Museum, Moscow. Two plates from the service, numbered 29 and 59, from the property of a descendant of a Minister of the Court of King Friedrich I of Württemberg was sold in these rooms, 21st April 1998, lots 48 and 49. A further plate from the service was sold at Christie's London, 7th July 2003, lot 30.

It is unusual that the present plate is not decorated with the gilt border which appears on other pieces in this service, and as such is perhaps an unfinished piece. Such a plate, also lacking a gilt border is in the collection of the Sèvres Museum, Inv.MNC 1791.