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

Art Historical Context

This exquisite plate, titled *Assiette à palmes* and one of 102 pieces a grand service, hails from the renowned Sèvres Manuf in France, crafted in 1772 under the patronage of King Louis XV. Produced by the royal porcelain factory at Sèvres, it exemplifies the height of 18th-century French luxury ceramics, where such services were commissioned for aristocratic dining and diplomatic gifts. Painter Jean-Baptiste Tandart to its delicate decoration, featuring lush garlands and flowers that evoke the opulent natural motifs of the transitioning Rococo-to-Neoclassical style. Made from soft-paste porcelain—a prized French innovation before the mastery of harder Chinese-style paste—this shallow plate (1 inch high, nearly 10 inches in diameter) showcases the material's creamy translucency and fine moldability. The intricate gilding and hand-painted floral elements highlight Sèvres' technical prowess, achieved through multiple firings to fuse gold and enamel colors without cracking the delicate body. Now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art thanks to the 1934 bequest of Emma T. Gary, this plate offers a glimpse into Versailles-era refinement, where porcelain rivaled silver on banquet tables and symbolized France's cultural dominance in the decorative arts. A single piece from such a vast service reminds us of the era's splendor and craftsmanship.

About the Artist

Sèvres Manufactory|Jean-Baptiste Tandart · 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...