MAJOR REDISCOVERY OF A LARGE OVAL DISH IN VINCENNES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN FROM THE “BLEU CÉLESTE” SERVICE OF KING LOUIS XV AT THE CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES

Based on a model by Jean-Claude Duplessis (1699-1774).

A major crack formerly restored with staples.

Manufacture royale de Vincennes, 18th century, 1755.

Mark in blue with interlaced LL, letter-date B for 1755; mark in blue of the flower painter Pierre-Joseph ROSSET dit l'Aîné (active 1753-1795).

W. 60.5 x D. 44.5 x H. 6.5 cm.

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Provenance

- Louis XV, King of France and Navarre (1710-1774), at the Château de Versailles.

- Most probably mentioned in 1778 in the Uffizi of the Château du Petit Trianon, owned by Queen Marie-Antoinette (1755-1793), among “3 large oval dishes”.

- French private collection since the early 20th century.

History

The “Service en Bleu céleste livré au Roy” included four “Grands plats ovales” (large oval dishes) mentioned at the top of the list in the last delivery of December 31, 1755, each at the impressive price of 840 livres, making it the most expensive dish in the service, on a par with the large round dishes (arch. Sèvres, Vy1 f° 119 v°). Prior to the discovery of our dish, we knew of only 2 of these 4 large oval dishes, preserved in the collections of His Grace the Duke of Buccleuch at Boughton House (England). One of these two dishes has unfortunately been broken into several pieces and is mounted in bronze on a pedestal table. Of the same dimensions and decoration, they are also similarly marked with the letter-date B for 1755. We know of another dish by our painter Pierre-Joseph Rosset (1734-1799) in particular, a 2nd size rôts dish, recently purchased by @chateauversailles (Sotheby's sale, London, May 22, 2019, lot 446). The large oval dish we are presenting is thus, to our knowledge, the only one known to be preserved in France, the fourth dish having been lost to date and none having previously appeared on the art market.

€20,000/30,000