Starter Plate Delivered To Napoléon , Sevres Imperial Manufactory circa 1808

Starter plate in hard porcelain, painted and accented with gilding.
Marked with a partially erased label; marks of the gilder and the painter (Brunel, née Buteux)
Dimensions: Diameter 23.5 (cm.)
Sèvres, circa 1808

A rare soup plate from a set of 36, part of a major order placed with the Manufactory by the Garde-Meuble in anticipation of the Emperor’s arrival to resolve, in his own way, the dispute between the Spanish Bourbons—father and son—a situation that benefited his older brother, Joseph Napoleon.

This service, featuring a “frieze of colored anemones” on a purple background, was delivered on behalf of the Emperor on June 25, 1808. It consists of a starter set and a dessert set. It notably includes 90 dinner plates, 36 soup plates, 16 fruit bowls, two wine glasses, etc. [1]

Comparable works:
- a bottle bucket, Fontainebleau Museum
- a footed platter, Fontainebleau Museum
- a pair of ice buckets, Paris art market

Provenance:
- from the table of Emperor Napoleon I at the Imperial Palace in Bordeaux
- from the table of the Duchess of Angoulême at the Royal Palace in Bordeaux
- from the table of the Duchess of Berry at the Royal Palace in Bordeaux

Condition report: one very small, restored chip; slight signs of wear.

[1] Last picture. Registre des ventes, Vy18, fol. 44 r. (archives M.N.S.)