Accession Number
1969/2.41

Title
Tureen with floral patterns and glass knob

Artist(s)
French

Artist Nationality
French (culture or style)

Object Creation Date
circa 1750

Medium & Support
tin-glazed earthenware (faience) with overglaze enamel

Dimensions
9 1/16 in. x 13 9/16 in. x 8 7/8 in. ( 23 cm x 34.5 cm x 22.5 cm )

Credit Line
The Paul Leroy Grigaut Memorial Collection

Label copy
March 28, 2009
The elegant design and delicately painted decoration of this tureen would have introduced a note of casual refinement to the table of its original owners, who were probably an aristocratic French family. France was late in developing a large merchant class, so that the aristocracy remained the primary patrons of the fine and decorative arts for far longer than was the case in other northern European counties. The trompe-l’oeil—literally “trick-the-eye”—scallion lain seemingly nonchalantly across the lid and the bulbous knob give the piece a playful charm.

Subject matter
The elegant design and delicately painted decoration of this tureen would have introduced a note of casual refinement to the table of its original owners, who were probably a well-to-do French family. The trompe-l'oeil scallion lain seemingly nonchalantly across the lid and the bulbous vegetal knob resembling an onion give the piece a playful charm.

Physical Description
This ovoid tureen stands on four curved, leaf-like feet that sprout upward and join together to form a pair of handles at either end of the vessel. The body of the tureen, composed of gentle undulating curves, is decorated with bright red and yellow flowers and leaves painted with overglaze enamel. A scallion, modeled in relief, rests bundled together with sprigs of parsley on top of the lid, introducing a playful trompe-l'oeil element. An onion forms the knob on the top of the lid.

Primary Object Classification
Ceramic

Primary Object Type
vessel

Collection Area
Western

Rights
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Keywords
Rococo
eating
faience (earthenware)
floral patterns
tureens