Highly Important Louis XV Period Ormolu Mounted Sèvres Porcelain Vase ‘Choiseul’

Description

A Louis XV Gilt Bronze Mounted Sèvres Porcelain Vase "Choiseul", Circa 1763 to 1765, the Mounts Probably After a Drawing by Jean Claude Chambellan Duplessis. This Louis XV Sèvres porcelain vase, known as the vase Choiseul, is of low oval bowl form with a broad everted rim and a deep body rising from a circular pedestal foot. The porcelain body is molded with evenly spaced gadroons that encircle the lower half of the vessel before tapering into the pedestal, which is finished with a molded collar and a distinctive row of raised porcelain pearls beneath the bowl. The porcelain is painted with soft grey and light brown veining across a white ground to imitate carved marble, creating the appearance of a hardstone vessel while retaining the refined translucency and smooth surface characteristic of Sèvres soft paste porcelain. The interior remains plain white with molded fluting radiating from the center of the basin, emphasizing the sculptural quality of the porcelain itself. The vase is mounted with gilt bronze of substantial weight and precision, including a continuous rim cast as bundled reeds bound together with ribbon ties and centered on each side with tied bow motifs. At each end, the handles are formed as pairs of entwined serpents, their bodies looping upward into open arches before descending to grasp the rim. Every serpent displays individually chased scales, defined heads, carefully modeled eyes, and tapering tails that wrap naturally around the bronze framework. The vase rests upon a square gilt bronze plinth decorated with a continuous guilloche frieze cast in relief around each side, providing a restrained architectural foundation beneath the richly modeled porcelain and bronze. This rare vase was produced by the Sèvres porcelain manufactory during the years around 1763 to 1765 and belongs to one of the most distinctive forms introduced by the factory during the early transition toward the neoclassical style. The model is identified in the factory records as the vase Choiseul, first appearing shortly after the plaster model entered the Sèvres inventories in the early 1760s. The porcelain body was manufactured by Sèvres using its celebrated soft paste porcelain and decorated with painted veining intended to imitate naturally variegated marble rather than traditional colored grounds or painted reserves. Surviving archival references indicate that only a limited number of examples of this model were produced, and documentary evidence suggests that marbled examples such as the present vase were especially uncommon. The mounts are generally accepted as being executed after a drawing by Jean Claude Chambellan Duplessis, whose surviving designs for the model remain preserved within the Sèvres archives. Two known drawings correspond directly with the form, one illustrating the profile with the characteristic row of pearls around the foot and another specifically inscribed "vase Choiseul." Although archival references identify blue ground and gilt decorated versions supplied to important patrons during the 1760s and later examples sold by the factory, references to porcelain painted to imitate marble are notably scarce, reinforcing the rarity of this decorative treatment. The painted marble decoration represents one of the most unusual achievements of the Sèvres factory during this period. Rather than applying elaborate enamel scenes or richly colored grounds, the decorators produced delicate grey and brown veining across the white porcelain surface to reproduce the appearance of polished marble with remarkable naturalism. The effect follows the contours of the molded body, allowing the subtle coloration to emphasize the gadrooned modeling while maintaining continuity across the entire exterior surface. The restrained palette complements the gilt bronze mounts without interrupting the overall composition. Unlike many contemporary porcelain wares that relied upon elaborate painted decoration, the emphasis here rests upon the convincing imitation of carved hardstone, allowing porcelain to assume the visual character of marble while preserving its own refined material qualities. The contrast between the polished white interior and the marbled exterior further distinguishes the vessel, while the molded fluting inside the basin echoes the gadrooned exterior and demonstrates the careful planning of the original model. The gilt bronze mounts are among the defining features of the vase Choiseul. The everted rim is enclosed within a bronze framework formed as bundled reeds bound at intervals by ribbon ties that wrap naturally around the shafts before terminating in tied bows positioned along the rim. The bronze is chased with longitudinal grooves that distinguish each individual reed, while the ribbons display folded edges and overlapping ends that create convincing movement across the perimeter. At the ends of the vase, the paired serpents emerge seamlessly from the reed framework. Each pair intertwines before rising into a looping handle that provides both structural support and sculptural ornament. The bodies are covered with individually chased scales arranged in overlapping rows, while the undersides retain carefully defined ventral plates extending from neck to tail. The serpent heads project outward with slightly opened mouths and sharply modeled eyes, creating symmetry between opposing sides of the vessel. Their tails return beneath the rim where they integrate naturally with the supporting bronze framework. The gilt bronze base continues the restrained classical vocabulary through a cast guilloche border that surrounds the square plinth, providing visual balance beneath the rounded porcelain body. The design of the vase Choiseul occupies an important place within the evolution of Sèvres porcelain during the middle years of the eighteenth century. Earlier productions directed by Jean Claude Chambellan Duplessis frequently embraced the asymmetrical forms associated with the Rococo style, characterized by scrolling outlines and highly animated profiles. By contrast, the Choiseul model adopts a restrained silhouette defined by balanced proportions, symmetrical composition, and a clear architectural structure. The low oval body, pedestal foot, and square base anticipate the growing interest in classical forms that would become increasingly influential during the later eighteenth century. Despite this movement toward greater restraint, the vase preserves the sculptural richness associated with Duplessis through the animated serpent handles and carefully integrated gilt bronze ornament. The result is a composition in which porcelain and bronze function together as a unified design rather than independent decorative elements. Scholars have long observed that the Choiseul vase appears to have been inspired directly by an earlier hardstone prototype rather than an engraved ornamental source. A closely related black and white variegated marble vase, now preserved in the J. Paul Getty Museum, shares the same general proportions, gilt bronze serpent handles, pearl decorated foot, and square mounted base. That marble vase, dating from around 1760, is slightly larger than the porcelain version and demonstrates how Sèvres successfully translated the appearance of carved stone into soft paste porcelain. The painted marble decoration on the porcelain body was therefore not simply an ornamental device but an intentional effort to reproduce the appearance of a prestigious hardstone object while exploiting the technical capabilities of the Sèvres manufactory. The close relationship between the marble prototype and the porcelain version illustrates the factory's willingness to reinterpret luxury materials through porcelain rather than merely imitate existing ceramic forms. The name Choiseul is generally believed to derive from Etienne François, duc de Choiseul, whose extensive patronage of the arts and collecting activities have long been associated with this model. Gillian Wilson proposed that the Getty marble prototype may once have belonged to the duc de Choiseul, thereby explaining the designation preserved within the Sèvres factory records. Whether commissioned specifically for Choiseul or inspired by an object connected with his collection, the association reflects the close relationship between the royal porcelain manufactory and the leading aristocratic patrons of eighteenth century France. Factory inventories document the existence of vases Choiseul in biscuit by 1764, while later entries record blue ground and gilt decorated examples presented to royal officials and sold through the manufactory during subsequent decades. Sales registers also record purchases of vases Choiseul decorated with gold filets during the early 1780s, demonstrating that the model remained in production long after its initial introduction. Only a very small number of marbled Choiseul vases are presently known. One example entered the celebrated collection of the duc de Bauffremont before later passing through the renowned collection of Monsieur Akram Ojjeh, where it appeared in the Sotheby's Parke Bernet Monte Carlo sale of 1979. Another remains preserved in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London as part of the John Jones Bequest. That vase bears the interlaced L marks enclosing the date letter K for 1763 together with the painter's mark associated with the Weydinger family, providing valuable evidence for dating other surviving marbled examples of the form. John Jones acquired his vase at the Henry Hope sale, where it was described simply as veined marble without recognition that it had actually been produced by the Sèvres factory in porcelain. The vase was displayed prominently within Jones's dining room alongside other important French decorative arts before entering the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1882. Jones also owned a pair of blue ground Choiseul vases purchased originally by Horace Walpole directly from Sèvres, illustrating the continued appreciation of this model among distinguished collectors from the eighteenth century onward. The remarkable unity between the porcelain vessel and its gilt bronze mounts strongly supports the long accepted attribution of the bronze design to Jean Claude Chambellan Duplessis. Before joining the Vincennes porcelain manufactory around 1748 and continuing at Sèvres until his death in 1774, Duplessis had established himself in Italy as a sculptor, designer, goldsmith, and bronze worker before relocating to Paris. His appointment as orfèvre du roi further confirmed his position within the French decorative arts. At Sèvres, his responsibilities extended far beyond designing vase forms. He supervised throwers and molders, advised on new ground colors, created wax models for gilt bronze mounts, and developed many of the factory's most recognizable porcelain forms. His experience in both metalwork and porcelain enabled him to conceive objects in which the ceramic body and gilt bronze mounts were designed together as a complete composition. The vase Choiseul reflects precisely this integrated approach, with the serpent handles, reed bound rim, pearl molded foot, and porcelain body conceived as interdependent elements rather than separate additions. Documented works by Jean Claude Chambellan Duplessis in gilt bronze are comparatively rare, making surviving designs associated with his hand especially significant. Among the best known are the gilt bronze mounts for the Bureau du Roi, including the lion corner mounts, together with the mounted Vincennes porcelain vase of flowers commissioned for the Dauphine Maria Josepha in 1749. His work also survives in the remarkable gilt bronze braziers commissioned as diplomatic gifts for the Turkish ambassador, one of which is preserved today in the Topkapi Museum. These documented commissions demonstrate the same combination of sculptural modeling and disciplined architectural structure evident in the Choiseul vase. The ribbon tied serpent handles display a sculptural confidence entirely consistent with Duplessis's broader work in bronze, while their integration into the porcelain body reflects his unique ability to unite different materials within a single coherent design. The Choiseul vase therefore represents one of the most distinctive collaborations between the Sèvres porcelain manufactory and the design practice of Jean Claude Chambellan Duplessis. Its carefully modeled soft paste porcelain body, rare painted marble decoration, restrained neoclassical silhouette, and richly chased gilt bronze mounts distinguish it among the factory's productions of the mid 1760s. The combination of documented archival drawings, surviving factory inventories, closely related museum examples, and the exceptionally limited number of known marbled examples places this model among the rarest porcelain forms produced by Sèvres during the reign of Louis XV. Dimensions: 11.5" Height 17" Width 10" Depth

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