Vase for a Garniture Set

The fascination with Chinese porcelain among aristocratic circles increased during the reign of Louis XV. In reaction to the perceived excesses of elaborate naturalistic ornament of the 1750s, mount makers increasingly turned to neoclassical designs, known as Goût Grec (Greek taste) in the 1760s and 1770s. These beautifully chased gilt-bronze mounts feature classical Greco-Roman motifs such as lion masks, acanthus and laurel leaves, and pilasters.

Credit: Gift of Horace Wood Brock