Garniture of Three Flower Vases (Vases Hollandois)
Medium
Soft-paste porcelain, polychrome enamels, and gilding
Dimensions
1994.373.1a-b, 1994.373.2a-b: 17.6 × 17.6 × 12.7 cm (6 7/8 × 6 7/8 × 5 in.) 1994.373.3a-b: 19 × 19.5 ×14.3 cm (7 1/2 × 7 11/16 × 5 5/8 in.)
Classification
vase
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
135718
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
A garniture, or set, of vases usually consisted of three or five vases, which could vary by size or shape, shown as a group on mantles or furniture. Each of these vases is comprised of two parts: vase and stand. Water was poured into the lower portion through the openings around the stand and was drawn up through holes into the fan-shaped vase.
About the Artist
Manufacture nationale de Sèvres · 1763–1800
The Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, a premier French porcelain factory, flourished from 1763 to 1800 as the royal powerhouse of European ceramics, producing opulent soft- and hard-paste porcelain under the patronage of Louis XV and XVI. Originally founded in Vincennes in 1740 to rival Meissen and Chantilly, it relocated to Sèvres in 1756 and was fully acquired by the Crown in 1759, becoming the M...