A Pair of Imposing Vases, Sèvres, 1865

porcelain, each on a multiply moulded circular foot, the urn-shaped body with two constricted sections, a distinct neck and flared mouth, the handles formed as foliate fantastic-beast masks with long horns overlapping across the concave neck, the body with lapis-lazuli imitation known as ‘fond nuagé’ or ‘fond lapis’, the front with an elaborately decorated reserve enriched with raised gilding, each containing portraits of two coquettish ladies, one leading a songbird on a leash, the other intently reading a letter amid the undergrowth, both elegantly dressed in Rococo Revival costume, height 40 cm, the bases with green marks S. 64 and S. 65 respectively and several incised marks, each neck with red Second Empire mark for 1865, (Hr) Over the centuries, the Rococo has remained an imagined realm of a light-hearted and sensually refined society. In the mid-19th century, the return to an untroubled relationship with nature and the use of veiled erotic messages enjoyed particular popularity. In this context, the woman with a tamed bird was a clear and familiar symbol of love brought under control, a theme explored in many different ways in the art of the period.

Estimation:€6,000

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