Vase (vase à chaîne or vase à côte de melon)

This melon-shaped vase is a fine example of the bold and innovative forms introduced at the Sèvres porcelain factory in the 1760s. Produced in the early Neoclassical style, known as goût grec (Greek taste), these designs used simpler, more sculptural decoration than in the past. Architectural motifs such as the acanthus spikes inset in the fluted sides of the vase replaced painted flowers and landscapes, and ground colors became richer.