Paris Porcelain Bowl - Napoleon III - 19th Century

This elegant Paris porcelain bowl, enhanced by a finely chased gilt-bronze mount, perfectly illustrates the refined taste of the second half of the 19th century for 18th-century-inspired decorative objects. The piece combines the virtuosity of Parisian workshops in colored enamels with the expertise of bronze workers specializing in luxury mounts. The bowl, in an intense sky blue, testifies to the enduring influence of the Sèvres "sky blue" palette, highly prized since the Rococo period. On each side, a polychrome oval medallion is delicately painted in the galant style: a pastoral scene depicting a couple seated in a rural setting, surrounded by greenery and bathed in soft light. This type of decoration, inspired by the iconography of Boucher or Fragonard, evokes an idealized vision of rustic life, very fashionable in 19th-century Parisian porcelain. The basin is encircled by an openwork gilt-bronze border, whose regular rhythm and alternating solid and void spaces lend a visual lightness to the whole. The spiral-shaped side handles adopt a neo-rocaille style: dynamic scrolls, stylized acanthus leaves, and hammered florets. This ornamental exuberance contrasts harmoniously with the chromatic restraint of the porcelain. The lower mount, entirely in gilt bronze, rests on a tripod base composed of foliate scrolls and finely chiseled vegetal interlacing. At the center, an element shaped like a perfume burner or antique vase, adorned with gadroons and surrounded by scrolls, serves as a decorative pivot and reinforces the precious character of the composition. This type of base, inspired by the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles, was typical of luxury objects intended for the Parisian upper class. The piece testifies to the sought-after combination of high-quality porcelain, meticulous decorative painting, and a gilt-bronze mount, characteristic of Parisian productions intended for the refined interiors of the Second Empire and the early decades of the Third Republic. This bowl, by virtue of its balance, its decorative richness, and its state of preservation, is a representative piece of French historicist taste.