.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The elegant form of a vase 'Griffes de Lyons' first came into production at Sèvres in 1774. Without the paw feet, it is known as a vase à cartels No 2. The original drawing (with feet) and the plaster (without feet) are retained by the factory archives.
Factory records note only eleven as having been produced, all between 1774 and 1778. One of the two painted in 1774 with landscapes on a royal purple ground at 360 livres is likely the present example.
Vases of this form recorded in the factory sales records are noted below.
VASES 'GRIFFES' AS RECORDED IN THE FACTORY SALES RECORDS:
1774 - Two painted with landscapes on a royal purple ground at 360 livres. Current whereabouts unknown. The present example is likely one from this pair.
1774 - A pair, described as corbeilles de fleurs riche en or (richly gilt with baskets of flowers), sold at the annual sale held by the factory at Versailles, December 1774 for 480 livres each. The buyers at these events are not identified but were members of the aristocracy. Acquired by Baron Louis de Rothschild and sold with property from his estate at Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc., New York, 13-14 May 1955, lot 94, the vases were acquired by a private collector in New York. Gifted to the collector's daughter, they were sold at Christie's, New York, 17 May 2005, lot 84 and are now in a private Texas collection.
1775 - Two sold to the marquis d'Aranda on 12 April 1775. Priced the same as the pair of the previous year 480 livres per vase, these are likely the pair of vases gilt by Vincent on a blue ground with a bouquet on one side and a trophy on the other that have been sold at auction several times in the past seventy-five years: by the Scottish Earl of Balfour (Sotheby's London, 17 July 1930, lot 47), by Mrs. Henry Walters (Parke-Bernet Galleries 30 April-3 May 1941, lot 1356), and by Mr. Gaby Salomon (21 May 1964, lot 19), and twice more anonymously (Sotheby's, London, 6 July 1984, lot 93 and Sotheby's, New York, 4 May 1985, lot 120 - without the covers).
1776 - Two sold to Mme. Sophie for 360 livres each. By process of elimination, these have been identified as the pair painted by Caton with pastoral scenes offered for sale at Christie's in New York, 22-23 October 2003, lot 252.
1778 - A garniture of three described as vases griffes beau bleu et or sold to the Ambassador from Venice on 17 March for 1200 livres. These vases, gilt in imitation of lapis lazuli, are now in the collection of the Castello Sforzesco, Milan.
In addition, an undecorated green example of 1776 that, together with a pair of vases 'Lecat', forms a garniture made for Madame Adèlaïde was previously in the collections of Vicountess Harcourt and of Mrs. Henry Walters (Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 30 April-3 May 1941, lot 1368). It is now in the St. Louis Art Museum.
Circa 1775 - A pair painted with baskets of flowers suspended from bows reserved against green and white spiral flutes - acquired by Dr. Alexandre Benchoufi at Partridge, London and sold Sotheby's, New York, 9 November 2006, lot 169.
Factory records note only eleven as having been produced, all between 1774 and 1778. One of the two painted in 1774 with landscapes on a royal purple ground at 360 livres is likely the present example.
Vases of this form recorded in the factory sales records are noted below.
VASES 'GRIFFES' AS RECORDED IN THE FACTORY SALES RECORDS:
1774 - Two painted with landscapes on a royal purple ground at 360 livres. Current whereabouts unknown. The present example is likely one from this pair.
1774 - A pair, described as corbeilles de fleurs riche en or (richly gilt with baskets of flowers), sold at the annual sale held by the factory at Versailles, December 1774 for 480 livres each. The buyers at these events are not identified but were members of the aristocracy. Acquired by Baron Louis de Rothschild and sold with property from his estate at Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc., New York, 13-14 May 1955, lot 94, the vases were acquired by a private collector in New York. Gifted to the collector's daughter, they were sold at Christie's, New York, 17 May 2005, lot 84 and are now in a private Texas collection.
1775 - Two sold to the marquis d'Aranda on 12 April 1775. Priced the same as the pair of the previous year 480 livres per vase, these are likely the pair of vases gilt by Vincent on a blue ground with a bouquet on one side and a trophy on the other that have been sold at auction several times in the past seventy-five years: by the Scottish Earl of Balfour (Sotheby's London, 17 July 1930, lot 47), by Mrs. Henry Walters (Parke-Bernet Galleries 30 April-3 May 1941, lot 1356), and by Mr. Gaby Salomon (21 May 1964, lot 19), and twice more anonymously (Sotheby's, London, 6 July 1984, lot 93 and Sotheby's, New York, 4 May 1985, lot 120 - without the covers).
1776 - Two sold to Mme. Sophie for 360 livres each. By process of elimination, these have been identified as the pair painted by Caton with pastoral scenes offered for sale at Christie's in New York, 22-23 October 2003, lot 252.
1778 - A garniture of three described as vases griffes beau bleu et or sold to the Ambassador from Venice on 17 March for 1200 livres. These vases, gilt in imitation of lapis lazuli, are now in the collection of the Castello Sforzesco, Milan.
In addition, an undecorated green example of 1776 that, together with a pair of vases 'Lecat', forms a garniture made for Madame Adèlaïde was previously in the collections of Vicountess Harcourt and of Mrs. Henry Walters (Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 30 April-3 May 1941, lot 1368). It is now in the St. Louis Art Museum.
Circa 1775 - A pair painted with baskets of flowers suspended from bows reserved against green and white spiral flutes - acquired by Dr. Alexandre Benchoufi at Partridge, London and sold Sotheby's, New York, 9 November 2006, lot 169.