Vase and Cover

Illustrating the new neoclassical forms that became fashionable in the 1760s, this vase has spiralling flutes on the neck and sashes draped below the shoulder. The design may have been inspired by two Chinese vases which were described in the inventory of the duc d’Aumont’s collections in a similar way, bottle-shaped with fluted neck and sash decoration. Instead of featuring painted decoration, the juxtaposing of the dark blue ‘bleu nouveau’ colour with the white ground and elaborate gilded pattern draws attention to the vase’s refined shape. Although gilt-bronze elements were often added in the nineteenth century, several examples of this model are known with mounts in the eighteenth century. The collar, decorated with lions’ masks suspending chains, and the scroll-footed stand, are thus probably contemporary to the porcelain.

c. 1765 - 1770

Soft-paste porcelain and gilt-bronze, gilded. gilt-bronze stand

25.1 x 13.4cm

C279

Images and text © Wallace Collection, 2017