Pair French Louis XVI Style Sèvres Rose Pompadour Ormolu-Mounted Cabinet Vases

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A 19th-century pair of French Sèvres-style porcelain cabinet vases executed in the Louis XVI taste, circa 1880, with rose Pompadour … Read more A 19th-century pair of French Sèvres-style porcelain cabinet vases executed in the Louis XVI taste, circa 1880, with rose Pompadour ground and finely cast ormolu mounts.

Petite in scale and formally balanced, the pair reflects the continued popularity of 18th-century Sèvres models in late 19th-century French decorative arts, particularly the enduring preference for neoclassical forms adapted for cabinet display.

Each vase is raised on a square ormolu plinth base with a fluted pedestal foot and acanthus-cast lower collar supporting a rounded porcelain body. The bodies are mounted with finely modeled gilt-bronze serpent handles, their heads resting at the shoulder and tails crossed at the reverse. Drawn from the classical ornamental vocabulary associated with the Louis XVI period, the serpent motif introduces a sculptural and architectonic counterpoint to the otherwise restrained form.

The pink ground recalls the celebrated Sèvres rose Pompadour palette, the distinctive ground color introduced in the 18th century and closely associated with Madame de Pompadour, one of the most influential patrons of the royal Sèvres manufactory. Set against this field, the principal reserves are hand-painted with cherubic cupids, one drawing a bow and the other sounding a trumpet, likely allegorical representations of love and announcement. The reverse reserves are painted with floral bouquets, including rose, tulip, carnation, and forget-me-not, rendered in a refined manner.

Ormolu mounts continue at the shoulder and neck with beaded borders, acanthus collars, removable gilt-bronze covers, and acorn finials. See less