Pair of Caisses à Fleurs Carrées

The square form of this pair of Caisses à Fleurs Carrées (orange pots), was based on a type of container used in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to hold orange trees. These smaller pots had a more general decorative purpose but did sometimes hold artificial or even live plants.

The Vincennes Porcelain Manufactory, recognized as one of the preeminent ceramic factories of the 18th century, was founded in France in 1740. Vincennes´ early style was indebted to Meissen and the vogue for Asian styles. However, by the 1750s, the factory began to make original shapes and decorations, often in a Rococo style distinguished by the quality and inventiveness of the painting and gilding. Featuring a bleu céleste ground, elaborate gilding and exquisite bird painting by Philippe Xhrowet, these pots are stunning examples of the form.