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Gobelet litron et soucoupe: C.2 & A-X

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Gobelet litron et soucoupe

Maker(s)

Factory: Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory
Painter: Buteux, Charles

Entities

Categories

Description

Soft-paste porcelain cup and saucer, painted in enamels, and gilded, with a musical trophy on the front of the cup and a gardening trophy in the centre of the saucer.

Soft-paste porcelain painted in blue, green, yellow, dark pink, purple, brown, grey, and black enamels, and gilding. Cylindrical cup with ear-shaped handle. Circular saucer with convex central area and deep, sloping sides. Both pieces have a suspension hole in the footrim. Both pieces have a white ground. The front of the cup is painted in polychrome with a trophy comprising a guitar tied with a bow of dark pink ribbon, a recorder, and another wind instruments, an arrow, an houlette decked with a dark pink ribbon and garland of leaves, surrounded by a chased gold frame of approximately three-quarters of a circle tooled panels of trellis alternating with smaller plain areas . On each side of the frame there is a gold lozenge enclosing four spots in dotted circles from which are suspended trailing sprays of gilt leaves which cross over under the handle. Round the top of the cup there is a sable d'or border between bands of gilding and there is a further band of gilding round the foot. There are gold lines down the sides of the handle and four horizontal bands of vertical strokes down its back. The centre of the saucer is painted with a gardening trophy comprising a basket of grapes, a hoe, a stick, and a horn surrounded by a band of gilding. The sides are decorated with three gold lozenges similar to those on the cup, linked by trailing sprays of gilt leaves. The border is en suite with that of the cup.

Notes

History note: Unknown

Legal notes

Donor and date of acquisition unknown

Place(s) associated

  • Sèvres ⪼ France

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Unknown by Unknown

Dating

18th Century, Mid#
Louis XV
Production date: AD 1765

Note

The gobelet litron was named after a cubic measure, the litron, which was normally made of wood, and was used for dry stuffs, such as corn and peas. Its size in Paris had been defined in 1670 as the equivalent of 9.45 cm high and 10.15 in diameter in pouces and lignes, which was larger than the largest of the porcelain cups.The first size of gobelet litron had been introduced at Vincennes before October 1752 when it was mentioned in an inventory of stock, but was probably being earlier (records are lacking).The second and third sizes followed in 1753, and the fourth and fifth in 1757. They could be fitted with one of seven different handle forms. A drawing in the archives at Sèvres is dated 19 February 1753 (MNS, R1, liasse 2, dossier 2, No. 6bis) They were supplied singly, singly with a plateau carré, in ’harlequin’ sets, or as part of matching dejeuner. (See Documentation, Préaux and d'Albis, 1991, Savill, 1988, Bellaigue, 2009)

This is a gobelet litron of the second size which was in production by 1753 with Savill's handle shape C, and tooling pattern 5. The trophies are typical of the gaily coloured ones painted by Charles Buteux. Unsuccessful as a figure painter in his early years at the factory, he became ts most prolific painter of trophies and attributes.

School or Style

Rococo

Components of the work

Decoration composed of enamels ( blue, green, yellow, dark pink, purple, brown, grey, and black) gold
Saucer Diameter 14.1 cm Height 3.9 cm
Cup Rim Diameter 7 cm
Cup Height 6.9 cm Width 9.5 cm
Handle

Materials used in production

presumed lead Lead-glaze
Soft-paste porcelain

Techniques used in production

Lead-glazing

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: interlaced L's enclosing M
  • Location: On base of both pieces
  • Method of creation: Painted in blue enamel
  • Type: Factory mark

Inscription present: an anchor

  • Location: On base of both pieces
  • Method of creation: Painted in blue enamel
  • Type: Painter's mark
  • Text: script J6 or I6 or 9C
  • Location: On the cup
  • Method of creation: Incised
  • Type: Incised mark
  • Text: 6 or 9
  • Location: On the saucer
  • Method of creation: Incised
  • Type: Mark

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: C.2 & A-X
Primary reference Number: 72980
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 18 December 2023 Last processed: Monday 18 December 2023

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Gobelet litron et soucoupe" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/72980 Accessed: 2024-11-10 19:31:12

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/72980 |title=Gobelet litron et soucoupe |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-10 19:31:12|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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