Potpourri vase (pot-pourri gondole) 1757 Sèvres Manufactory This model of potpourri vase, known as a pot-pourri gondole, was designed in 1756, the same year in which the Vincennes factory moved to larger and superior quarters at Sèvres, located to the southwest of Paris on the road to Versailles. The success of the Vincennes factory had made it apparent as early as 1753 that it required more and better space, and the increasing patronage of the French court, King Louis XV’s (1710–1774) financial involvement, and a series of loans made it feasible to build a much more modern and suitable factor
Potpourri vase (pot-pourri gondole) 1757 Sèvres Manufactory This model of potpourri vase, known as a pot-pourri gondole, was designed in 1756, the same year in which the Vincennes factory moved to larger and superior quarters at Sèvres, located to the southwest of Paris on the road to Versailles. The success of the Vincennes factory had made it apparent as early as 1753 that it required more and better space, and the increasing patronage of the French court, King Louis XV’s (1710–1774) financial involvement, and a series of loans made it feasible to build a much more modern and suitable factory in 1756.[1] The new enterprise at Sèvres was a continuation in artistic terms of the operation established at Vincennes, but the ownership structure evolved with Louis XV’s increasing financial support of the factory, culminating in his purchase of the entire establishment in October 1759.[2] The complexity and sophistication of this potpourri vase reflect how far the Vincennes factory had advanced technically and artistically by 1756 when this model was created.[3] The lid is composed of four pierced panels, each formed by a different pattern of low-relief flowers modeled with great precision. The upper section of the main body of the vase is pierced with an elaborate design and with four holes, possibly intended to support bulbs, and the vase rests on a separate stand supported by four scroll feet. The pierced designs of the lid and upper section of the vase are remarkably skillful in terms of their compositions and their execution. The challenges of creating and then firing a vase with such intricate and extensive pierced work would have been enormous, and it may account in part for why so few pot-pourris gondoles were produced. Today, four potpourri vases of this model are known, all produced in either 1757 or 1758. Three of the four are decorated with a green ground; in addition to the Museum’s example, the other green-ground potpourri vases are in the State H
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