The soft porcelain of Sèvres

Abstract

"The soft porcelain of Sèvres is famous throughout the world. This classic book covers the soft Sèvres porcelain produced in the fifty years before 1800. The Sèvres factory was originally established on 24th July, 1745 in the old riding school at Vincennes under the management of Orry de Fulvy and reconstituted 8 years later in 1753 with the title Manufacture de la porcelaine de France. It moved from Vincennes to Sèvres in 1756 and from then until 1789 it was without rival. In 1800 when Brongniart succeeded as director, the use of the soft porcelain paste disappeared and its place was taken by kaolin or hard porcelain. Edouard Garnier's monograph deals with the developments of the soft porcelain manufacture during this time when the famous 'bleu' of Sèvres, the 'rose du Barry' pink and the 'bleu turquoise' those ravishing colours were all discovered by Hellot. In his introduction Garnier also covers the marks used in the period and deals with the imitations and counterfeits that can be found. The plates feature 250 water-colour engravings of the most famous original pieces produced by the pottery. They show, even in reproduction, the beauty of form and colouring of this the finest porcelain of its time and the book stands as a monument for all collectors."-- On front flap of dust jacket.