Large Sèvres style ormolu mounted porcelain vase with pedestal

Mounted with beautifully cast ormolu (gilt-bronze) mounts, this magnificent, monumental porcelain vase is crafted in the style of the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, and combines elements of Rococo and Neoclassical design to create an exquisite work of decorative art.

Ovoid in shape, it is mounted with meticulously cast ormolu elements. The base of each is particularly ornate: square in structure, it features canted corners, and an array of sculptural elements, including acanthus leaves, shields, drapery, and hanging tassels. The socle upon which the porcelain is mounted, culminates in an elaborate foliate mount, in turn mounted upon the gilt-bronze base. The porcelain ground bears a rich, deep, beautiful royal blue tone, like that of lapis lazuli or ultramarine.

Stemming from the foliate mount above the socle are a pair of handles, cast as acanthus-wrapped columns, that start slender but grow increasingly grand as the vase rises. These support a pair of lyres, the arms of which turn to foliage as they also rise. Behind each handle and seated atop the shoulders of the vases is an ormolu cherub. 

The paintings on each face, which are set within lavishly gilt cartouches, are decidely Rococo in style, inspired by works of the eighteenth century. On one side a young aristocratic man approaches a pair of ladies with flowers, and on the other a grand castle is depicted in a bucolic woodland fairytale landscape. The entire composition is entirely Rococo in feeling and execution, being playful yet distinctly Classical, combining beautiful traditional refined artistry with expressive theatrical grandeur.

The vase stands on an immaculate ormolu pedestal, a more recent piece, designed after a nineteenth century wooden original in order to match the porcelain vase. It is raised on four bun feet and supported by four scrolling cabriole legs with beaded edges. The top is inlaid with a sheet of lapis lazuil, matching the rich blue ground of the porcelain above.

The vase can be purchased individually, or as a set together with this pair of works, as photographed above. 

Vase: height 162cm, width 63cm, depth 48cm
Stand: height 66cm, width 48cm, depth 48cm