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Lot Essay
VASES OF THIS MODEL
These eye-catching vases are part of a small, distinct group of ormolu-mounted Chinese porcelain vases with very similar porcelain bodies and identical ormolu mounts, of which only six additional examples are known; a pair sold from the collection of Djahanguir Riahi Christie’s, London, 6 December 2012, lot 14 (£769,250); a pair from the collection of Lionel de Rothschild, 148 Piccadilly, London, sold Sotheby's London, 4 July 2012, lot 2012 (£577,250); a single vase from the Edouard Chappey collection, sold Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 27-31 May 1907, lot 1391; and another single vase from the collection of Baroness Burton, sold Christie's, London, 8 July 1965, lot 75. The existence of eight known examples produced over an extended period of time illustrates the popularity of this model from its inception until the late eighteenth century. One of the most influential and iconic artists of eighteenth-century France, François Boucher is known to have owned a pair of vases of this model. At the sale in Paris on 18 February 1771 of the property of Boucher the catalogue listed a pair of vases as lot.
807: Deux vases de la chine, à bouquets bleu & blanc, montés chacun sur un pied composé de branchages de laurier entrelacé sur quatre tortues; un Triton à côté du haut, portant le revers de la gorge et soutenant une guirlande de laurier, le tout de bronze doré' [360 livres 5 sols to the marchand-mercier Pierre Rémy].
This detailed account describes the model of the present vases and the other six known examples, although it is unsure if any of these surviving vases belonged to Boucher.
MOUNTED PORCELAIN
By the time the above sale took place, the mounting of Asian porcelain with ormolu had been extremely fashionable in France for over half of a century. Thus, these vases, although definitely objets de luxe, were not considered novelty items. However, what made this particular design unusual are the ormolu turtles supporting the vases and the triton-form handles. While turtles were common decorative features in Chinese art, in eighteenth-century France they were seldom used. It is possible that the turtle figures were incorporated into the design of these vases to stress either the exotic nature of the porcelain or, coupled with the child tritons, the aquatic concept of the work. The superbly conceived triton handles relate these vases to the work of the celebrated bronzier Pierre Gouthière (1732 - circa 1814), who is known to have executed similar mounts, including those found on a pair of candelabra in the collection of the Getty Museum (72.DF.43.) In fact, the ormolu mounts of the Rothschild and Riahi vases were attributed in both cases to Gouthière.
VARIATIONS TO DESIGN AND EXECUTION
Although identical in their overall design, figural mounts and the type of porcelain used, there are a number of variances among the abovementioned examples. The most notable difference is found on the one from the collection of Baroness Burton as that vase does not feature turtles to the undecorated plinth and the porcelain’s base is mounted with an acanthus-cast ormolu ring. The vases from the Chappey, Rothschild, and Riahi collections have bases with entrelac-cast ormolu mounts, which differ from the more restrained decoration of the bases of the present vases. In the case of the Getty, Riahi, and Rothschild lots differences between vases in each pair can be found with variations to the porcelain and to the chasing of the mounts. The Chinese porcelain vases, imported by a marchand-mercier, have minor differences in thickness, decoration, and shape, and as a result, the mounts enveloping the porcelain bodies needed to be specially adapted from the chef modèle each time.
On the Getty pair there are minor differences to chasing of the ormolu mounts and the triton mounts have slightly different modes of fixation. There are also variances between the porcelain bodies not only in decoration but also in height, and also in the shape of the bases and mouths, possibly because they were cut slightly differently before being mounted. It is important to note, that the slight differences in height, decoration, and thickness among the porcelain bodies of all three pairs, is a common occurrence with Chinese export wares that does not indicate an inferior quality. The differences between pairs and vases within pairs suggest an originally larger group, most likely made by several craftsmen and probably within the same workshop. The repeated production of a number of versions of these vases illustrates the model’s popularity, through a combination of the distinctive celadon porcelain used and, probably more importantly, the wonderful triton handles that were conceived and executed more like small-scale sculptures than simply ormolu mounts.
These eye-catching vases are part of a small, distinct group of ormolu-mounted Chinese porcelain vases with very similar porcelain bodies and identical ormolu mounts, of which only six additional examples are known; a pair sold from the collection of Djahanguir Riahi Christie’s, London, 6 December 2012, lot 14 (£769,250); a pair from the collection of Lionel de Rothschild, 148 Piccadilly, London, sold Sotheby's London, 4 July 2012, lot 2012 (£577,250); a single vase from the Edouard Chappey collection, sold Galerie Georges Petit, Paris, 27-31 May 1907, lot 1391; and another single vase from the collection of Baroness Burton, sold Christie's, London, 8 July 1965, lot 75. The existence of eight known examples produced over an extended period of time illustrates the popularity of this model from its inception until the late eighteenth century. One of the most influential and iconic artists of eighteenth-century France, François Boucher is known to have owned a pair of vases of this model. At the sale in Paris on 18 February 1771 of the property of Boucher the catalogue listed a pair of vases as lot.
807: Deux vases de la chine, à bouquets bleu & blanc, montés chacun sur un pied composé de branchages de laurier entrelacé sur quatre tortues; un Triton à côté du haut, portant le revers de la gorge et soutenant une guirlande de laurier, le tout de bronze doré' [360 livres 5 sols to the marchand-mercier Pierre Rémy].
This detailed account describes the model of the present vases and the other six known examples, although it is unsure if any of these surviving vases belonged to Boucher.
MOUNTED PORCELAIN
By the time the above sale took place, the mounting of Asian porcelain with ormolu had been extremely fashionable in France for over half of a century. Thus, these vases, although definitely objets de luxe, were not considered novelty items. However, what made this particular design unusual are the ormolu turtles supporting the vases and the triton-form handles. While turtles were common decorative features in Chinese art, in eighteenth-century France they were seldom used. It is possible that the turtle figures were incorporated into the design of these vases to stress either the exotic nature of the porcelain or, coupled with the child tritons, the aquatic concept of the work. The superbly conceived triton handles relate these vases to the work of the celebrated bronzier Pierre Gouthière (1732 - circa 1814), who is known to have executed similar mounts, including those found on a pair of candelabra in the collection of the Getty Museum (72.DF.43.) In fact, the ormolu mounts of the Rothschild and Riahi vases were attributed in both cases to Gouthière.
VARIATIONS TO DESIGN AND EXECUTION
Although identical in their overall design, figural mounts and the type of porcelain used, there are a number of variances among the abovementioned examples. The most notable difference is found on the one from the collection of Baroness Burton as that vase does not feature turtles to the undecorated plinth and the porcelain’s base is mounted with an acanthus-cast ormolu ring. The vases from the Chappey, Rothschild, and Riahi collections have bases with entrelac-cast ormolu mounts, which differ from the more restrained decoration of the bases of the present vases. In the case of the Getty, Riahi, and Rothschild lots differences between vases in each pair can be found with variations to the porcelain and to the chasing of the mounts. The Chinese porcelain vases, imported by a marchand-mercier, have minor differences in thickness, decoration, and shape, and as a result, the mounts enveloping the porcelain bodies needed to be specially adapted from the chef modèle each time.
On the Getty pair there are minor differences to chasing of the ormolu mounts and the triton mounts have slightly different modes of fixation. There are also variances between the porcelain bodies not only in decoration but also in height, and also in the shape of the bases and mouths, possibly because they were cut slightly differently before being mounted. It is important to note, that the slight differences in height, decoration, and thickness among the porcelain bodies of all three pairs, is a common occurrence with Chinese export wares that does not indicate an inferior quality. The differences between pairs and vases within pairs suggest an originally larger group, most likely made by several craftsmen and probably within the same workshop. The repeated production of a number of versions of these vases illustrates the model’s popularity, through a combination of the distinctive celadon porcelain used and, probably more importantly, the wonderful triton handles that were conceived and executed more like small-scale sculptures than simply ormolu mounts.