Plate (assiette à palmes) (1 of 102) (part of a service)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite plate, titled *Assiette à palmes (one of 102 pieces in a grand service), hails from the renowned Sèvres Manufactory France, crafted in 1780. under the expertise of decorators Guillaume Noël and François-Marie Barrat, it exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century European porcelain. With a diameter of 9 5/8 inches (24.4 cm), its scalloped "palme" (palm leaf) edges and delicate floral motifs—evident in its tagging—reflect the opulent tableware favored by French aristocracy on the eve of the Revolution. Made from soft-paste porcelain, a Sèvres specialty blending clay with glass frit, the plate achieves a luminous translucency and fine detail that hard-paste alternatives couldn't match. This medium allowed for intricate hand-painted flowers and lavish gilding, techniques that showcased the manufactory's royal patronage and technical mastery. As part of a massive service, it would have graced lavish banquets, symbolizing wealth and refinement. Today, this treasure resides in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, thanks to the 1934 bequest of Emma T. Gary. It invites us to savor the elegance of ancien régime luxury, where every petal and curve whispered sophistication.

About the Artist

Sèvres Manufactory|Guillaume Noël|François-Marie Barrat · 1740–present

The Sèvres Manufactory, one of Europe's premier porcelain producers, was established in 1740 as the Manufacture de Vincennes under the patronage of Queen Marie Leszczyńska, who sought to rival Meissen and Chantilly porcelains with French soft-paste innovations. Initially a private venture, it relocated to Sèvres in 1756 in a purpose-built facility designed by architect Laurent Lindet near Madame d...