18th-century Sèvres Porcelain Juice Pitcher, "roses And Foliage" Louis XVI Set

A porcelain juice pitcher from Sèvres, part of the “Rose and Foliage” service, which was delivered to Louis XVI in 1775; the exact date is not specified in the Sèvres archives. This first service comprised more than 280 pieces, including four oil jugs, twenty bottle buckets, and two ice buckets. Given the number of pieces produced, it is highly likely that the order for the service was placed by Louis XV, who would not have the opportunity to see it, as the monarch died on May 10, 1774.

However, the set seems to have pleased the young monarch, who added to it through several successive orders. Thus, on April 12, 1779, he had two bottle buckets delivered, and then in April 1783, more than 130 pieces were added to the set, including ice cups and chestnut bowls. In April 1785, Louis XVI purchased a few more pieces “for the Palace of Versailles.”

His younger brother, the Count of Artois, also had a dessert service of the “roses and foliage” design—comprising more than 220 pieces—delivered on June 26, 1777, for the Palace of Saint-Germain, the same set for the Temple, and a final set of nearly 150 pieces for the Château de Maison. This was clearly a design particularly favored by the young count, who was always at the forefront of fashion alongside his sister-in-law, Marie-Antoinette.

Starting in 1773, this became one of the favorite motifs of the Royal Porcelain Manufactory of Sèvres, and several prestigious clients also had “roses and foliage” pieces delivered, such as Abbé Desfrançais for Milady Craven, Marquis Jean-Baptiste-Charles-François de Clermont d’Amboise, and Countess Jeanne Du Barry.
H: approx. 7 cm