France, Vincennes / c. 1752
Covered Tureen (Terrine ancienne or Terrine ordinaire)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Covered Tureen (Terrine ancienne or Terrine ordinaire) as ceramic (France, Vincennes · c. 1752).
This object was manufactured in soft-paste porcelain, a material used by many European porcelain factories before they were able to emulate the hard-paste porcelain of China and Japan.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this ceramic as soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration and credits Louis-Denis Armand (French, active c. 1745–1783).
The museum's collection notes: The intricately painted birds that decorate this tureen are the work of Louis-Denis Armand. Armand was known for his depictions of birds and landscapes, a specialty that may have come from his work as a painter of lacquered furniture with similar compositions. This tureen was likely designed by master goldsmith Jean-Claude Duplessis who began working as an artistic director at the Vincennes Porcelain Factory in 1748.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtCovered Tureen (Terrine ancienne or Terrine ordinaire)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.