Manufacture De Sèvres - Service Of The Emperor Napoleon III - XIXth Century

Manufacture of Sevres. Service of the balls to the great figure of the Emperor Napoleon III. Flat plate in white porcelain, with gilt fillets and number "N" under a crown. Golden red mark at Sèvres (1861), green (1860) and hollow marks. Second Empire Period

During the July Monarchy, King Louis-Philippe abolished the large cutlery and instituted five types of Sèvres porcelain services, the wealth of which determined the recipient: the Service des Offices, the Service des Officiers, the Service des Bals, the Service des Princes and Ceremonial Services. The first four bear the king's cipher in blue, red or gold but without polychrome decoration, while the ceremonial services are in colour. Napoleon III uses the ceremonial services of his predecessor for his palaces, and uses for his new Sèvres porcelain services the same decorative typology as the services of Louis-Philippe, but with his cipher.

Sèvres porcelain comes from one of the most important factories in Europe. Founded in 1740, it remains world famous today. The Sèvres factory was developed thanks to the patronage of Louis XV under the influence of Madame de Pompadour. Originally located in Vincennes then moved to Sèvres in 1756, it produced so-called soft porcelain then hard porcelain following the discovery of a Kaolin deposit near Limoges and marketed from 1770. Over the political regimes it is found on all royal, imperial or presidential tables. Sèvres continually produced fashionable new designs which were widely admired and imitated.