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

Art Historical Context

This elegant plate, titled *Assiette à palmes* and one of 102 pieces in a grand service, exemplifies the pinnacle of 18th-century French porcelain. Produced in 1772 by the Sèvres Manuf—the royal porcelain works near Versailles—and painted by Charles-Louis Méreaud, it measures 9 3/4 inches in. Crafted from soft-paste porcelain, a silky material prized for its translucency and fine detail before hard-paste techniques dominated, the plate likely features delicate floral motifs, evoking the opulent table settings of the French aristocracy under Louis XV. Sèvres porcelain represented France's cultural prestige, blending technical innovation with lavish decoration to rival Chinese imports. Méreaud, a skilled gilder and painter, contributed intricate floral designs that showcased the factory's mastery of overglaze enameling and gilding, fired at low temperatures to achieve vibrant, enduring colors. These services were commissioned for elite dining, symbolizing wealth and refinement during the Ancien Régime. Today, this piece graces 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 imagine lavish banquets where such porcelain elevated everyday meals into spectacles of artistry.

About the Artist

Sèvres Manufactory|Charles-Louis Méreaud · 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...