Locré, Louis XVI And Georges Falkengerg Period – Covered Sugar Bowl Mounted In Silver, France, 18th Century

Locré hard-paste porcelain sugar bowl of quadrilobate shape, with a matching cover and stand featuring a scalloped rim. Decorated in underglaze blue with the so-called à la brindille pattern, the ensemble is mounted in silver by the Parisian silversmith Georges Falkenberg. The lid is surmounted by a finial in the form of intertwined branches, bound by a medallion and ending in delicate foliage highlighted with blue accents. A fine blue fillet adorns the edges, enhancing the luminosity of the white enamel. The lid features a notch designed to accommodate a sugar sifting spoon.

Mark: Underglaze blue mark beneath the enamel.

Hallmarks

• Minerve first standard (950/1000 sterling silver)
• Silversmith’s mark: GF with a falcon for Georges Falkenberg

Dimensions
Height: 13 cm
Length: 26 cm
Width: 20.5 cm
Gross weight: 1,145 g

Condition
Firing-related bubbles, cracks, and spots in the enamel; invisible restoration to the stand.

A similar model, manufactured by Locré and featuring the same decoration from the Bloit Collection, is held at the Musée national Adrien-Dubouché in Limoges.

This specific quadrilobate sugar bowl with à la brindille decoration was produced by several manufactories during the same period. Three similar examples, including a pair, are housed at the Château de Chantilly, while another with a detached stand is preserved at the Musée Gallé-Juillet in Creil.

The inner gilding of the cover’s silver mount remains intact. Close examination of the piece and surface traces suggest that it was originally entirely gilt. The deliberate wear of the exterior gilding likely reflects a shift in aesthetic preferences.

Despite minor imperfections linked to its manufacture, this mounted porcelain piece stands as both a refined decorative object and an invaluable historical document. It sheds light on the evolution of table porcelain and the changing perceptions of antique collectables within the decorative arts.

• LIMOGES, MUSÉE NATIONAL ADRIEN-DUBOUCHÉ – Table sugar bowl, à la brindille decoration – Hard-paste porcelain, Locré-Russinger manufactory, Louis XVI period. Inv. ADL11131
• MUSÉE CONDÉ, CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY – Lidded sugar bowl and stand – Porcelain, Chantilly, c. 1770–1775. Inv. OA 951
• MUSÉE CONDÉ, CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY – Lidded sugar bowl on stand with à la brindille decoration in underglaze blue – Soft-paste porcelain, Chantilly, c. 1770–1775. Inv. 023-11-2-1
• MUSÉE CONDÉ, CHÂTEAU DE CHANTILLY – Lidded sugar bowl on stand with à la brindille decoration in underglaze blue – Soft-paste porcelain, Chantilly, c. 1770–1775. Inv. 2023-11-2-2
• CREIL, MUSÉE GALLÉ-JUILLET – Sugar bowl and stand – Soft-paste porcelain, Chantilly, c. 1770–1775. Inv. 216.220

Georges Falkenberg was a Parisian silversmith active between 1894 and 1928, with premises on Rue Lafayette. He specialised in classical table silver, including fine-quality flatware and plate inspired by Régence, Louis XV, Louis XVI, and even Art Deco styles.

Falkenberg also produced prestigious pieces such as an opulent gilt-silver surtout de table with architectural elements, columns, and agate vases^[1], a richly designed chocolate service^[2], and various other remarkable works, most of which remain in private collections. In addition to his own creations, he crafted luxurious silver mounts for contemporary pieces, including Daum glassware, such as elegant Art Nouveau claret jugs with exquisitely detailed mounts of exceptional craftsmanship^[3], vases by Gallé, crystal perfume bottles, and Sèvres-style porcelain cutlery. He also worked with antique objects, particularly 18th-century porcelain from Meissen, Niderviller, the Comte d’Artois Manufactory, and Locré, as well as unique commissions such as a Japanese netsuke mounted on an architectural silver and hardstone inkwell^[4].

His work reflects a refined taste for elegance and luxury while integrating influences ranging from classicism to the modern Art Deco aesthetic.

The Locré Manufactory, also known as the Manufacture de La Courtille, was active between 1772 and 1824 and ranked among the leading Parisian porcelain manufactories of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Established on Rue Fontaine-au-Roi in Paris, it was founded in the early 1770s by Jean-Baptiste Locré. A few years later, he partnered with Laurent Russinger, a skilled porcelain maker and sculptor, who took over the management of the manufactory until the late 18th century.

The Locré manufactory quickly distinguished itself through the exceptional quality and originality of its creations, becoming a serious competitor to the Royal Manufactory of Sèvres.

Today, pieces from the Locré manufactory are preserved in the most prestigious museums worldwide, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York ; The Victoria & Albert Museum and The British Museum, London ; The Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris ; The Château de Versailles and the Musée Carnavalet, France ; The Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam ; The Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg. A photograph by William Chaffers depicting a tea service from the manufactory, once held at the South Kensington Museum, is now in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

^{[1] Private collection.
[2] ARTCURIAL, Furniture and Works of Art, 16 May 2017, lot 86: Gilt-silver chocolate pot with nine matching cup holders and saucers, with nine white and gold porcelain cups, Paris, early 20th century.
[3] OGER-BLANCHET, Modern Collections, 23 Nov. 2022, lot 165: Claret jug. ARTCURIAL, Art Deco, 27 May 2014, lot 6: Daum orangeade service (…) the jug in overlay glass (…) handle and neck in finely sculpted gilt-silver by G. Falkenberg.
[4] ADJUG’ART, Exceptional Sale of Château de Paradis Furnishings, 24 Sept. 2019, lot 405: Silver inkwell, Minerve first standard hallmark, by silversmith Falkenberg, designed as a circular peristyle with three hardstone columns, the lid mounted with a 19th-century Japanese netsuke.}