Plate
Medium
Hard-paste porcelain with polychrome enamels and gilded decoration
Dimensions
2.9 × 23.7 cm (1 1/8 × 9 5/16 in.)
Classification
plate (general, dish)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
51786
Art Historical Context
This elegant plate, crafted in 1846 by the Manufacture nationale de Sè—the premier French porcelain factory founded in the 18th century—exemplifies the opulent applied arts of mid-19th-century Europe. During the July Monarchy under Louis-Philippe, Svres continued its legacy as a royal supplier, producing luxury goods that blended technical mastery with refined aesthetics for elite dining and display. Made from hard-paste porcelain, a durable, translucent material perfected in Europe to rival Chinese imports, the plate features vibrant polychrome enamels—fired-on colors applied in multiple lay...
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...