Chest; China, 20th century

Chest; China, 20th century
Glazed porcelain; brass
Bears a stamp on the base
Measurements: 20 x 21 x 16 cm.

A glazed porcelain casket with brass trim, made in China, likely produced in Hong Kong around the 1990s, in this case as an interpretation of 18th-century Sèvres models from the Louis XVI period. The piece is decorated on a turquoise-blue background, reminiscent of Sèvres’ famous “bleu céleste,” with openwork borders containing bouquets of flowers in shades of pink, mauve, and yellow; the decoration is complemented by delicate borders and gilded floral motifs scattered across the entire surface. The Rococo-style brass mounts include a cut-out handle on the lid, an openwork border at the junction between the body and the lid, a pair of applied masks on the side fronts, and four claw-shaped feet resting on a rocaille plinth.

The Sèvres manufactory, founded in 1756 under French royal patronage, reached the height of its prestige during the reign of Louis XVI thanks to its characteristic colored backgrounds—including “bleu céleste”—combined with floral designs of great pictorial finesse and a profusion of gilding. These designs, which became a hallmark of 18th-century French taste, have been constantly reinterpreted from the 19th century to the present by numerous European and even Asian manufacturers, as is the case with this piece, which recreates the spirit of those original works with remarkable decorative fidelity.