Hand-Painted 1800s Sèvres Porcelain and Bronze Box

Hand-painted Sèvres porcelain box, both externally and internally, with bronze details. Made in the second half of the 19th century. 

Ø cm 20 Ø cm 11 h cm 14

Sèvres ceramics are among the most celebrated ceramic manufactures in all of Europe, originating in France in the 18th century. From the outset, production stood out for its elegant, refined and graceful forms, characterized by the Bleu de Sèvres color, later combined with other colors such as turquoise blue and Persian green. Originally, the manufactory produced soft-paste porcelain, but from the 1760s it began producing hard-paste porcelain.  

In the early 19th century, the range of colors became richer, adding its most precious color, brilliant gold.  

These ceramics were sought after by the greatest European aristocratic families, who wished to own centerpieces, vases, statuettes and small sculptures. Over time, the subjects changed, moving from the allegories and mythological themes of the Baroque to themes from Greco-Roman antiquity, a taste for Egyptian art and ornaments on a gilded background, reflecting Neoclassical style.  

The biscuits are particularly famous: delicate figurines left unglazed to distinguish them from German polychrome production and bring them closer to the cool beauty of marble, which are highly sought after by collectors today. To create these ceramics, often made in white, artists were inspired by gallant or pastoral scenes. The most common decorative motifs also included rocaille bodices in the Rococo style and landscapes with pink or blue cupids on a white background.