Pair of Mounted Vases with Flowers

The renowned Meissen porcelain manufactory made these porcelain vases, which later were imported into France by a marchand-mercier. Painted flowers and insects, with painted shadows in an attempt at greater realism, decorate the vases. The painter carefully placed a few of the smaller bugs to cover flaws in the porcelain. When the vases arrived in Paris around 1745, the dealer cut them down and set them with gilt bronze mounts. An artisan then attached delicate porcelain flowers, made at the Vincennes Porcelain Manufactory, to stems and arranged them to create an opulent display. Porcelain flowers were the rage in Paris in the 1740s. Noble patrons ordered thousands of naturalistic carnations, roses, and other varieties to decorate the interiors of their homes. Porcelain blossoms may even have been sprayed with perfume to enhance their realistic effect.