Royal Manufacture of Sèvres. Period: Napoleonic Empire (ca, 1810-1815).

Royal Manufacture of Sèvres. Period: Napoleonic Empire (ca, 1810-1815).
Porcelain bowl, polychrome enamels and fire gilding on cobalt blue background ("bleu de Sèvres").
Molded porcelain, hand painted and gilded.
With stamp on the base and inscription that reflects that the piece is a gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to Princess Murat.
In excellent state of preservation.
Measurements: 16 cm (diameter) x 7,5 cm (height).

This porcelain bowl belongs to the production of the Manufacture de Sèvres during the French imperial period, around the second decade of the 19th century. Made of finely enameled and gilded hard porcelain, it has the characteristic cobalt blue ("bleu de Sèvres") background, on which are applied rich neoclassical decorations in matte and shiny gold, with vegetal and fantastic motifs -roles, acanthus leaves and winged figures- framing a central hand-painted cartouche.

The main scene, executed with great precision and narrative sense, shows several officers on horseback, one of them in a central commanding attitude, surrounded by other riders in military uniform. The composition refers to the official equestrian portraits of the Napoleonic period and can be interpreted as an allusion to the military triumphs of the Empire, to the battle of Moskva (Borodino, 1812), the decisive episode of the Russian campaign.

According to the inscription on the base of the bowl, it would have been a gift from Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Emperor Napoleon and then King of Spain, to Princess Murat, wife of Joachim Murat, King of Naples and brother-in-law of the Emperor. The dedication would commemorate the end of the Russian campaign, thus becoming part of the courtly practice of offering personalized porcelain as a symbol of loyalty and prestige within the imperial environment.

The interior of the bowl is white, without decoration, which accentuates the contrast with the sumptuous exterior. Both the profile and the gilding of the rim and foot confirm its belonging to the Sèvres luxury series, intended for diplomatic gifts or high-ranking family members.

The state of conservation is excellent: the colors remain vivid, the gilding retains its luster and there are no cracks or enamel losses. The quality of the painting, the fineness of the gilding and the historical context make this piece an outstanding example of Napoleonic court art, where porcelain became not only a decorative object, but also an instrument of political representation.