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

Art Historical Context

This delicate "Assiette à pal" (palm plate), one of 102 in a grand porcelain service, was crafted by the prestigious Sèvres Manuf in France in 1772, with decoration attributed to the skilled artist Bertrand. Measuring 9 3/4 inches in diameter, it soft-paste porcelain—a prized French innovation of the 18th century enabled finer molding and brighter glazes than earlier European attempts to rival Chinese hard-paste wares. Produced at the royal manufactory near Versailles, such pieces were fired at lower temperatures, allowing intricate details and vivid colors to shine. Sèvres porcelain reached its zenith under Louis XV and XVI, serving as status symbols for the aristocracy and diplomacy gifts. This service reflects the era's opulent dining culture, where vast table sets showcased wealth and taste. Floral motifs, a hallmark tag here, were hand-painted with meticulous gilding, blending rococo exuberance with emerging neoclassical restraint. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Department through the 1934 bequest of Emma T. Gary, this plate invites us to savor the artistry of a golden age of French luxury ceramics.

About the Artist

Sèvres Manufactory|Bertrand · 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...