Pair of porcelain busts of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

The white bisque porcelain busts in this pair, crafted in the style of Sèvres, represent King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Marie Antoinette. Each bust is supported by an ormolu (gilt bronze) square base, the corners scalloped, which is intricately cast with foliate forms. From each base rises a bisque porcelain cylindrical podium, wrapped at the bottom by an ormolu wreath, the centre of the cylinder encompassed by an encrusted porcelain floral garland. This porcelain cylinder supports an ormolu mounted pinched porcelain socle, which in turn supports the bust.

The bust of Louis XVI is finely crafted, capturing an accurate likeness of the King. The bust of Marie Antoinette is more elaborately ornamented than that of her husband, her likeness being occasionally parcel gilt—the Queen’s necklace and headdress, for instance, are delicately accented with selective gilding.

Bisque, French for 'biscuit', is a technique where the porcelain is left unglazed. In its pristine white state, the moulded porcelain resembles pure marble. This style of porcelain was invented by the Sèvres factory, who used it to create small sculptures to replace the white sugar figurines that were used to decorate dining room tables in the 18th Century. Bisque porcelain busts of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were highly fashionable during their reign, and such busts continued to be produced in the 19th Century.

Male: Height 35.5cm, width 18.5cm, depth 13cm
Female: Height 40cm, width 18cm, depth 13cm