MANUFACTURE NATIONALE DE SEVRES, - Lot 320

MANUFACTURE NATIONALE DE SEVRES, Large Etruscan porcelain vase with ovoid body on pedestal, neck choked with gilded decoration on an agate blue ground of palmettes, friezes of vine branches, foliage, friezes of pearls and gadroons. Lion-head handles. Mark in red: "MANUFACTURE NATIONALE / DORE A SEVRES / U". Mark in green: two interlaced "L" and "SEVRES". Shaping: 1955 Enameling: 1956 Decoration: 1961 H. 37 cm (Small chip under the base, not visible on the outside, slight wear to the gilding) The shape of this vase was created by Charles Percier in 1808, while the decoration appeared in 1848. Bleu agate" is a color more rarely used than Sèvres blue. Agate blue has very little coverage, allowing any firing imperfections to show through, whereas Sèvres blue, which is dark and has great coverage, hides these small imperfections. Agate blue is only used on "elite" pieces, i.e. those with no imperfections, which makes it a rarity.