A pair of gilt-bronze mounted green soft paste Sèvres porcelain pot-pourris vases, late Louis XV, circa 1765 1770

the lids with seeds emerging from laurel leaves, the handles with old men masks on an entrelac pierced band ; (restorations to the porcelain)

Maurice Segoura Gallery, Paris

Literature reference:
P. Kjellberg, Objets montés du Moyen Âge à nos jours, Paris, 2000

The illustration of the catalogue is accurate. Good overall condition. The gilt-bronze mounts: The gilding is very slightly rubbed and tarnished. Fine chasing and ormolu gilding. Two minor elements of the lid mount are missing and the ormolu circle needs to be refixed. The porcelain: As stated in the catalogue there are some restorations to the porcelain. There are minute surface scratches to the porcelain. One crack is visible inside one pot-pourri and has been restored. One lid is restored (maybe an hairline crack) and the other has two restoration areas. Beautiful and rare pair of pots-pourris. With lot 85, rare opportunity to get a magnificent set of 5 green Sèvres mounted pieces with early neoclassical bronzes. To recommend.
"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 European enthusiasm for exoticism, especially from the Far East during the 18th century, encouraged decorative art dealers to offer their customers models inspired by productions from these distant countries. They then sought avidly imported porcelains or European wares imitating them, which they then often mounted with chased and gilt bronzes to meet European affinities. Monochromatic porcelains were particularly treasured, the bronze ornamentations brought out the depth of the colors. European manufactories, such as that of Sèvres, produced various hues, notably blue, green, and aubergine.

If the added mounts are sometimes uniquely aesthetic, the porcelain is here mounted as a potpourri: the bronzes are then all utilitarian. "Pot-pourri" takes its name from a Spanish stew "l'olla podrida", the very graphic definition of which can be found in Pantagruel by Rabelais, translated from old French as: "The pot-pourry is full of potages of various kinds, lettuce, roux-based, with no seeds, capers, roasted, boiled, carbonnades, large pieces of salted beef [...] ". It then lost all gastronomic connotation to address only the smell. The Dictionary of Furetière of 1690 gives a very different definition: the potpourri denotes then the amalgam "that the women make several perfumes mixed in a pot to make the room smell good". The recipes of these interior scents were varied and jealously guarded by perfumers who hope to thus retain their clientele of distinguished women.

By metonymy, the container took the name of the content. The potpourri then became a container characterized by the presence of orifices allowing the perfumed vapors to diffuse into the room. Potpourris knew their time of glory during the 18th century, as evident by the numerous purchases made at dealers, in particular Lazare Duvaux, by the Royal family and nobles of the kingdom. Some potpourris were conceived as such, notably the very famous "vaisseau" potpourris created by Jean-Claude Duplessis (ca.1695-1774) for the Marquise of Pompadour. The Louvre example (OA 10965), ornated with a pink ground and Chinese decoration, owes its decor to the painter Charles-Nicolas Dodin (1734 - 1803).

Furthermore, most potpourris were created due to the additions made by the bronze artisans on simple porcelain vases. The change of function appears by the separation of the vase from its lid with pierced gilt bronze circumference. Here, the perforated interlacing allow the odors to diffuse into the room. The ovoid shape of the vase lends itself well to its function and was quite commonly used to be metamorphosed into a potpourri. This is particularly the case with a Rococo potpourri vase, housed in the Wallace Collection (no. F117): the mounting, dated 1750, features an ornamentation of chased and gilt bronzes with irregular organic forms, like the turquoise potpourri auctioned on 28 April 2016 by Sotheby's, London in its "Collection & Collectors" sale (lot 332).

A seed-designed knop makes it possible to lift the lid to place the fragrant substances: this ornamentation is found on other models of mounted vases produced by the Sèvres manufactory, notably on the very famous vase called "Daguerre oval", ornated with bronzes by Thomire, copies of which belonged to the Wallace Collection (No. C342) and the Royal Trust Collection (RCIN 35515). The handles of our pot, supported by masks of old men blowing, as well as the base, also fall within a classical aesthetic inherent of the Louis XVI style, proving the perennial success of vases mounted as potpourris.