A Sèvres Porcelain 'Bleu Céleste' Cup and Saucer

Sèvres, circa 1780

Blue and puce interlaced L’s mark, date letter, painter’s mark for Jean-Louis Morin, gilder’s mark for Jean-Pierre Boulanger, and an unidentified mark.

The cup is finely painted with a charming military scene: a soldier drinks from a tankard while his companion tends to a cooking pot over a campfire. The saucer features two mounted figures crossing a bridge. Both pieces are richly framed with elaborate gilt scrollwork and oak-leaf borders, with gilt dentil rims.

Diameter of saucer: 15 cm

Jean-Louis Morin is recorded as a painter of figures, dock and military scenes at the Sèvres manufactory from 1754 to 1787. Morin first tried his hand at applying ground colors, without much success, when he began his career at Vincennes. With time his talent improved though, and he went on the become of of the most celebrated painters at Sèvres. The son of an army surgeon, it is no wonder he chose to specialize in charming scenes of soldiers' lives, much like the present campfire scene.

Jean-Pierre Boulanger is recorded as a gilder at the manufactory from 1754 to 1785.

Condition report: The handle of the cup has been restored