Vase (vase à monter) (one of a pair)

Sèvres Manufactory

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

These bleu-célèste vases (see companion mounted vase 1976.240.5) have been given pronounced Neoclassical mounts in the bold manner of the designer Jean-Charles Delafosse (1734–1789). Mounting either Asian or European porcelain in gilt bronze became a standard and lucrative practice for the Parisian marchands merciers. In this manner, they could enhance a piece or preserve a damaged object. These dealers also invented new models for porcelain by giving them pierced mounts and turning them into incense burners or potpourri holders.

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The fifty thousand objects in the Museum's comprehensive and historically important collection of European sculpture and decorative arts reflect the development of a number of art forms in Western European countries from the early fifteenth through the early twentieth century. The holdings include sculpture in many sizes and media, woodwork and furniture, ceramics and glass, metalwork and jewelry, horological and mathematical instruments, and tapestries and textiles. Ceramics made in Asia for export to European markets and sculpture and decorative arts produced in Latin America during this period are also included among these works.

Metropolitan Museum of Art