Pair of Covered Tureens on Stand (Paire de pots-à-oille)

The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Pair of Covered Tureens on Stand (Paire de pots-à-oille) as ceramic (France, Sèvres · 1757–58).

WHY IT’S INTERESTING

Oille , which may come from the Spanish word for cooking pot, olla , refers to a Spanish stew of meat and vegetables popularized by Anne of Austria and Maria-Theresa, respective wives of Louis XIII and Louis XIV.

SERENDIPITYA little unexpected

FamiliarWeird

A CLOSER LOOK

The museum identifies this ceramic as soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration and credits Sèvres Porcelain Factory (French, est. 1756).

The museum's collection notes: A misconception influenced by 19th-century art historical texts, the pale pink that appears on Sèvres porcelain is commonly and incorrectly called rose Pompadour after Madame de Pompadour, official mistress of French King Louis XV. Though she was a great patron of the factory, this pale pink ground did not carry her name during its mid-18th-century production. Instead, factory records refer to this striking pink simply as rose.

FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE

The Cleveland Museum of ArtPair of Covered Tureens on Stand (Paire de pots-à-oille)

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