Ref.12005
Helm clock in enameled ceramic, end of the 19th century

This enameled ceramic great helm is the singular support for a clock made in the late 19th century. This type of production, at the same time refined and colourful, is typical of the creative enthusiasm of these times, and gets its inspiration from medieval forms and from the Renaissance ornamental repertoire.

Ref.15210
Théodore Deck, Vase with flowers and butterflies, c. 1880

This glazed ceramic vase was made by Théodore Deck around 1880. Théodore Deck initially trained as a stove maker. When he set up in Paris on his own account in 1858, he made stove linings and then, on the strength of his success, moved into ceramics. He gradually perfected his technique and enjoyed great success at the many World’s Fairs he took part in. In 1878, he was made an Officer of the Légion d'Honneur. He ran the Sèvres factory between 1887 and his death in 1891. The body of this vase features a naturalistic design of flowers, flanked by two butterflies and a dragonfly. On an aubergine-coloured background, iris flowers unfurl on one side and a tree branch with colourful blossoms on the other. The leaves add to the polychromy: they come in different shades of green, from khaki to emerald, and some are even "Deck blue", a colour so characteristic of the artist's work that it bears his name. All the decorations are bordered by a thin yellow border in relief. The vase has two ferocious-looking roaring lion heads as handles. The neck is decorated with geometric friezes, while the inside of the vase is lined with a Deck blue glaze. The piece is stamped under the base: "TH. DECK". It can be dated to the artist's Far Eastern period. Japanese art began to influence Deck's work after Japan's participation in the 1867 Universal Exhibition. Fascinated by this art, the ceramist collected numerous works and drew inspiration from them for his own pieces. Here, he uses the manganese-coloured background of certain Japanese vases, as well as the lack of depth that characterises Japanese prints. The flowering tree motif is also characteristic of Far Eastern art. Finally, the butterfly is a symbol of happiness and immortality in this culture. A vase of a very similar shape, with a Japanese-style decoration of poppy flowers and lion's head handles identical to our own, is in Peter Marino's collection.

Ref.15692
Henry II Cup from the Sèvres Manufactory

The Vincennes factory, the forerunner of the Sèvres factory, was founded in 1740 by workers who had transferred from the Chantilly factory. The Vincennes factory became royal in 1752, shortly before its transfer to Sèvres in 1756. In 1759, Louis XV became the main investor and placed it under the control of the Crown. The discovery of kaolin by two of its researchers in 1768 enabled the royal establishment to produce pieces of genuine porcelain (known as hard porcelain). Between 1800 and 1847, the factory was directed by the scholar Alexandre Brongniart, who ensured its exceptional growth. The factory then continued its evolution to the present day, where it remains a unique center of creativity. Sèvres is known for having developed a multitude of innovative shapes and styles. It was with this in mind that between 1832 and 1888 the Manufacture turned to productions with 14th-16th century decorations to meet the neo-Renaissance taste of the 19th century. Among these numerous creations, we can find the so-called "Henri II" cups, produced between 1841 and 1868. A model was even presented at the Universal Exhibition of 1855. This same example was purchased by Colin Minton Campbell who, three years later, took over the British ceramics factory from his uncle, Thomas Minton. That same year, 1858, under the impetus of the new owner of the factory, the artistic director and chemist Léon Arnoux succeeded in reproducing the Henri II techniques. Indeed, it was precisely in these 1850s that Victorian manufacturers attempted to reproduce the complex techniques of Henri II earthenware, also called Saint-Porchaire or Oiron earthenware, in which Sèvres excelled. The purchase of Minton in 1855 is therefore not insignificant since it surely served as a French model for the British factory.