Vintage Hand-Painted Porcelain Cachepots, Floral With Gilt Rim - A Pair

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Description

The cachepot — French for "hide pot" — originated in 18th-century France as a decorative sleeve designed to conceal a … Read more The cachepot — French for "hide pot" — originated in 18th-century France as a decorative sleeve designed to conceal a plain utilitarian planter, transforming a purely functional object into one fit for the drawing room. Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's chief on the sly lady and the most powerful woman at Versailles, is widely credited with single-handedly shaping what we now call French style — her patronage of the Sèvres porcelain manufactory helped make hand-painted porcelain both a decorative art and a cultural statement, a legacy this pair carries forward in miniature.
Pulled from an East Hampton estate sale, this pair of hand-painted porcelain cachepots features a soft pale yellow, creamy ground encircled by a lush floral band — poppies, roses, and daisies rendered in a loose, painterly hand — beneath a wide gilt rim. Each sits on a gilt pedestal foot that echoes the banding above, with a glazed white porcelain interior. Both pieces are marked on the underside "Made in Portugal."
Sold as a pair, these suit a mantel, a set of side tables, or a console, holding a trailing plant or standing alone as sculptural objects.
Dimensions: Approximately 5"H x 5"D (each)
Materials: Hand-painted porcelain, gilt detailing
Condition: Vintage condition with minor gilt wear consistent with age; no chips or cracks noted
Origin: Portugal See less