Beschreibung:

A pair of Louis XVI ormolu mounted bleu nouveau-ground porcelain garniture ewersThe mounts in the manner of Pierre Gouthière (1732-1813), circa 1785-90, the porcelain probably Locré
Of baluster form, the bodies with elaborate figural handles formed as putti standing on scrolling foliate terminals, holding the shaped spout with ram's head and bearded mask to the front, above interlaced pierced upper collar, the bases of the bodies with upswept water leaves and berried motifs, raised on tripod hairy paw feet and corresponding concave-shaped platform bases with central foliate roundels and beaded shallow bleu turquin marble plinths (the porcelain bodies restored, some replacements to the ormolu on the base, the marble plinths possibly later), 18.5cm wide, 13cm deep, 39cm high (7in wide, 5in deep, 15in high) (2)FootnotesProvenance
Collection of Harriett P. Schermerhorn, New York;
Collection of Gustav-Pierre Bader, sold;
Parke-Bernet, New York, 9 & 10 November 1962, lot 222;
Etude Courtier Nicolay, Collection Bensimon, 18 and 19 November, 1981, lot 30.
Jacques Perrin, Paris, 1996, where purchased.
Exhibited
Jacques Perrin, Paris, Biennale des Antiquaires, 1996.
Related literature
Charlotte Vignon, Christian Baulez, Pierre Gouthière 1732-1813, p.61, 168.
Hans Ottomeyer, Peter Proschel, Vergoldete Bronzen, vol.II, Munich, 1986, p.579. fig. 18 and 19.
The design of these ewers can be closely compared to the works by Pierre Gouthière for the Duc d'Aumont. Interestingly, similar mounts to the spout with bearded satyr mask is to be found on a ormolu mounted celadon ewer from Duc d'Aumont's sale in 1782 (lot 114), while the tripod base is to be found on a pair of ormolu mounted blue porcelain vases, in the same sale (lot 163). The drawings of these designs are illustrated in C. Baulez, Pierre Gouthière p. 61, fig. 168.
The Locré porcelain factory was created in 1773 under the name of 'Fabrique de la Courtille' and established in rue Fontaine-au-Roi in Paris. Very successful, most of its production consisted of Meissen porcelain imitations. It is after 1790, with the arrival of Ruffinger at Locré that the technique of hard paste porcelain was perfected.
Different ewers of this same models have been sold in the past, including:
Sotheby's, London, 15 June 1990, lot 89.
Sotheby's, London, 10 December 1993, lot 233.
Sotheby's, Monaco, 1 July 1995, lot 77.
Christie's, London, 7 July 2005, lot 497.
Christie's, London, 13 November 2018, lot 260.