A gilt-bronze mounted green soft paste Sèvres porcelain garniture, Louis XV, circa 1765-1770

comprising three vases, the handles with heads of satyrs and oak leaves garlands, the oblong pair of vases on a base with acanthus and laurel leaves, the pot-pourri with a green enamel on the inside of the lid and the cup on a base with a tied ribbon and laurel leaves ; (one inner crack to a vase)

Collection of Baron A. de Gunzburg
Ader, Picard and Tajan, Palais Galliera, 24 November 1976, lot 49
Sotheby's, Monaco, 17 June 1988, lot 682
Sotheby's, Monaco, 3 March 1990, lot 68
Boisgirard, Paris, 23 November 2001, lot 204

Literature references:
- S. Eriksen, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Sèvres Porcelain, London, 1968, p. 232
- S. Eriksen, Early neo-classicism in France, London, 1974, p. 362 and pl. 238
- P. Verlet, The James A. de Rothschild collection at Waddesdon Manor. Sèvres porcelain, Fribourg, 1968, p. 236, n. 81
- P. Verlet, Les bronzes dorés français du XVIIe siècle, Paris, 1987, pp. 72-73
- Exh. cat. La Folie d'Artois, Paris, 1988, p. 196

Very attractive lot in fairly good condition. The catalogue illustration is accurate. THE MOUNTS: The quality of the chasing is really good as the colour of the ormolu (mercury gilding); Expected minor wears in some places and few stains. The pair of vases did not have previously or originally a cover. THE PORCELAIN: The covered vase is in good condition. One of the baluster vase has an haircrack under the base. The other baluster vase has a restored haircrack on the base and to the lower part of the vase and a small restored chip (1 cm. long) on top the rim of the neck. All the vase is covered with a varnish to hide the small damages. Very fine lot. Together with previous lot 84, 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."

During the 18th century, manufacturers, as well as decorative art dealers, followed the evolutions of trends to satisfy the demand from connoisseurs such as Blondel de Gagny and Jean de Julienne. After the imaginative mountings from the Rococo period, the return to Classicism initially with Greek styling was encountered through complex objects after the 1760s.

Our three-piece garniture, comprising two ovoid vases and one covered incense burner of green, soft porcelain from Sèvres, is a model attributed to the dealer Jean Dulac. The latter, descended from a family of decorative art dealers, became "merchant-glover-perfumer" before 1740 and marchand privilégié du Roi [privileged dealer to the King] on 16 May 1753. Established on rue Saint-Honoré, he specialized in the sale of Sèvres porcelain. More known for his bell-shaped vases, he delivered to important clients, including a pair of vases to the King of Poland. This pair of vases is still part of the Lazienski Palace (consult P. Verlet, Les bronzes français du XVIIIe siècle, Paris, 1987, pp. 72-73).

Around 1763, the Sèvres manufactory produced vases of Far Eastern inspiration bought without mountings by dealers such as Dulac, Grouel, and Poirier. They could then order the mountings by bronze artisans with whom they employed regularly. Note that these vases usually do not bear the Sèvres mark, but the name of Dulac appears many times in the registers of the manufactory between 1758 and 1776, during which period he acquired a very large number of porcelain vases in green, blue, and aubergine.

The central vase, decorated with masks of bearded satyrs, garlands of laurel leaves, beads, ribbons, and friezes of stacked coins is very close to a pair at Waddesdon Manor, Buckinghamshire (ill. in Eriksen, Early Neo-classicism in France, London, pp. 362, pp. 238). Some slight differences in the bronzes can be noted, especially concerning the laurel leaf garlands held between the satyr heads and the plinth, ornated with Greek motifs on the examples from the Rothschild collections. There are also several similar auctioned vases such as the one sold in Christie's, New York on 21 October 1997 (lot 277); that of Sir John Gooch collection at Benacre Hall, Suffolk (Sotheby's, 9 and 11 May 2000, lot 48); or the pair from the Lily and Edmond Safra collection auctioned by Sotheby's, New York, on 18 October 2011 (lot 973). Another example, in blue porcelain this time, is kept at The Vyne in Hampshire. It was acquired by Horace Walpole in Paris from Dulac, in 1765-1766, for his friend John Chute. In his travel diary A Journal of My Journey to Paris, 1765, the author describes with humor "that extravagant and expensive shop", where one found much sought after items by many members of French, English, and Russian aristocracies. Another blue vase with a similar mounting was presented in the Artcurial auction, Paris, 15 December 2010, lot 35 and perhaps corresponds to one formerly part of Galerie Michel Meyer illustrated in the exhibition book, La Folie d'Artois, Paris, 1988, p. 196. This same gallery also proposed in its catalogue dated 2000 a pair of resembling vases in coral-red lacquer from the former Pierre Lebaudy collection. The mounting remains almost unchanged for a pair of coconut vases (Picard auction, Paris, 29 November  1992, lot 55).

The lateral vases are very close to a pair housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (inv. 1978.12.4 and .5). The mounting and green porcelain are similar but the pair from New York is atop a square counter-plinth with indented angles.