A Saint-Cloud Sugar Bowl and Cover, circa 1700-20
This Saint-Cloud sugar bowl and cover, with its gadrooned moulding and painted Bérainesque ornaments, mirrors the ornate Baroque gold and silver creations of artisans working in precious metals in Europe during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It would have seemed entirely appropriate that an exotic, imported commodity such as sugar be served from a container proclaiming its luxury status. This notion is amplified by the fact that porcelain was only available to the very wealthy at this time.
The decoration on the top of the knop occurs on Saint-Cloud cane handles from 1700-20.
Unmarked.
Unidentified collector’s label to the base.
Condition: No damage or restoration, just typical minor potting, firing and glazing anomalies, including pinholes, specks of dust, and clay tears. The painted decoration is very clear and attractively coloured.
Dimensions: Height (to top of knop) 11 cm
Ref. Rondot illustrates a circa 1700-20 collapsed sugar bowl waster and a cup with the same moulded and painted decoration (pp.114-115, figs.1 & 2). Gadrooning, in conjunction with Bérainesque underglaze blue decoration, occurs on Saint-Cloud porcelain at least as early as 1695.
Discovering the Secrets of Soft-Paste Porcelain at the Saint-Cloud Manufactory, c.1690-1766, Bertrand Rondot, Ed. (BGC / Yale, 1999).
SOLD