A Sèvres porcelain ewer with a portrait of Thales
Neoclassical form with tall handle issuing from a bucranium. The lower section gadrooned and with a foliate band, the pommel accentuated by beading, the foot with trompe l’oeil fluting and stylised foliage. Painted to the display side with a portrait of the philosopher Thales against a dark background in a round reserve, labelled "TALUS, ATHÉNIEN". The sides with Neoclassical turquoise ground medallions inscribed "LE COMPAS É LA SCIE" and "TOUR À POTIER". Blue stamped double-L monogram mark with fleur de lys and illegible year number, h. 16. A.l in gold, incised SYG and 20-II. H 23.8 cm.
1814 - 24.
According to tradition, this ewer was presented to the King of Thailand as a diplomatic gift in 1861. The choice to decorate the vessel with a portrait of Thales of Milet, one of the seven sages of Greece and one of the most important classical scientists and philosophers, is sure to have appealed to the recipient. The ewer was made during the Restoration period, but its detailed and opulent design reflects the fashions of the Empire. The décor is reminiscent of the ornaments of Charles Percier and Pierre François Léonard Fontaine whose famous work "Recueil de décoration intérieure concernant tout ce qui rapporte à l'ameublement" was published in Paris in 1812 and influenced an entire generation of designers.
Provenance
King Mongkut or Rama IV of Thailand (1804 - 1868).
King Chulalongkorn the Great or Rama V of Thailand (1853 - 1910).
Christie´s London, 16th November 2010, lot 110.