Vase (cuvette à tombeau, première grandeur)

Designed to hold cut flowers or porcelain flowers mounted on naturalistically painted metal stems, this vase form was introduced at the Vincennes Porcelain Manufactory in 1754. It would probably have been set in front of a mirror, so that the elaborately painted scene on the back could also be admired. At the time the vase was produced, the vivid turquoise ground color, developed with aquamarine pigment imported from Venice, was a recent invention and much admired. The elaborate gilding that frames the bird scenes and marks the edges of the vase is also notable for the skill it required. Gilding had to be applied at least twice over this ground color, as the turquoise-blue color tended to absorb the gold during firing because of its high copper content.