A Louis XV gilt-bronze mounted Meissen and Chantilly porcelain table fountain, circa 1750

Sotheby’s, London, 7 December 2005, lot 194;

Sotheby's London, 28 May 2009, lot 3.

This unusual table-fountain exemplifies the creative role of the marchand-mercier in 18th-century Paris, bringing together a harmonious assemblage of disparate elements into a single decorative object. The central vessel, most likely originally conceived as a hot-water jug or coffee pot and formerly fitted with a handle now concealed beneath the mounts, is combined with a pair of mid-18th century Meissen putti representing Summer and Winter. These porcelain figures are united by gilt-bronze mounts and fittings, demonstrating the marchand-mercier's skill in coordinating porcelain and gilt-bronze mounts to create an object of both elegance and novelty. Table-fountains were designed to dispense perfumed water, wine, coffee or tea and often incorporated a small basin at the front to collect excess liquid, combining practical function with the sophisticated decorative taste that characterised the finest luxury objects of the period.