Sevres Style Bleu Celeste Portrait Vase and Cover, 19th Century

A Sevres style Bleu Celeste ground portrait vase and cover,…
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A Sevres style bleu celeste ground portrait vase and cover, 19th century, after the 18th century Sevres vase Ferre, the ovoid body modelled with four oval raised and garlanded panels suspended by simulated cords and eyelets with overhanging gilt oak branches issuing from tied ribbons, alternately painted with cupids in clouds and portraits of Marie-Therese Louise de Savoie, Princesse de Lamballe, all upon a blue celeste ground, with a band of gadroons to the waisted neck, the domed cover with floral border and gilt bronze foliate fruiting finial, raised on a gilt enriched socle and square base, unmarked. In good condition as catalogued, bronze finial possibly later, height: 47 cm

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  • Socle - The short plinth, usually cylindrical, that serves as a pedestal for a sculpture or vase
  • Oviform /ovoid - The outline loosely resembling the shape of an egg.
  • Bleu Celeste - "Bleu céleste" is a French term that translates to "sky blue" in English, and it refers to a specific shade of blue pigment used in the decoration of porcelain. This color is a light, sky-blue shade that was often used in combination with other colors to create intricate designs on porcelain pieces. The use of "bleu céleste" was was first used by the Sèvres porcelain factory in the 18th century, and became popular in the 19th century. The colour is created by adding copper oxide to the glaze. It was valued for its ability to add a touch of lightness and delicacy to porcelain designs. The color was often used to create floral motifs, landscapes, and other decorative elements, and it was prized for its ability to evoke feelings of calmness and serenity.
  • Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.

    The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.

    It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture.
  • Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
  • Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.

    Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.
  • Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.

    Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,

    Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.

    Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.

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