A maker of exemplary European ceramics for hundreds of years, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres has produced porcelain of the highest quality since 1740.
The factory enjoyed royal patronage from its earliest days, and its most prominent patrons in the late 1700s — King Louis XV of France and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour — commissioned some of the period’s most elegant and striking pieces (only the truly wealthy could afford porcelain at this time). The company was originally established in Vincennes but was moved at the request of Madame de Pompadour, in 1756, to Sèvres, near Versailles, so that its operations would be closer to her château.
Sèvres became a mighty and much-revered factory working under a special grant from King Louis XV — the company’s owner as of 1759 and whose abundance of orders for special state gifts put financial strain on the company. Madame de Pompadour is said to have commissioned Sèvres to create an entire indoor garden of porcelain botanicals, for example.
While Sèvres gained a sterling reputation for its soft-paste porcelain wares, the company was late in entering into the production of hard-paste porcelain.
Hard-paste porcelain is the most common type of Chinese porcelain, then a widely exported and profitable product that was not made in Europe until the 18th century. The resources at Sèvres were largely relegated to meeting the demands of Louis XV, and secondly, it did not acquire the secret formula for hard-paste porcelain until 1761.
Until it obtained the coveted secrets behind hard-paste porcelain from a chemist named Pierre-Antoine Hannong — and, years later, gained access to the elusive raw materials to make hard-paste porcelain — Sèvres produced soft-paste porcelain for decades that was widely celebrated but is comparatively a far weaker type as opposed to the hard-paste productions of the company’s rival, Meissen, in Saxony, the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia.
The artisans at Sèvres applied the rarest and most difficult-to-produce colors to their decorative objects and dinner services. One such color, the bright bleu de roi, became the manufacturer’s signature shade and is found on many of their objects. Sèvres also experimented with rarely glazed or unglazed works that bore no decoration at all — bisque porcelain, French for “biscuit,” refers to unadorned white porcelain sculptures made at Sèvres that resemble white marble after being kiln-fired.
Sèvres marks were applied over the glaze or rendered with cuts by a sharp tool — authentic Sèvres porcelain is most commonly marked with two interlaced Ls that are painted in blue and enclose a third letter. Painters and potters were tasked with affixing marks to record their role in the creation of a particular piece, and as a lot of these artisans’ names are recorded in archival factory materials — and there is also much to be learned at the Sèvres museum — it’s likely that you can accurately identify your Sèvres piece.
Find antique and vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres vases, urns, sculptures and more on 1stDibs.
1924 Olympic Games Vase by Octave Guillonnet, Sèvres Porcelain, France
By Octave Guillonnet, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
1924 Paris Olympic Games Gold Medal Vase. Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Designed by Octave Denis Victor Guillonnet, executed by Émile Louis Bracquemond Exceptional and extremely ...
Ceramic, Porcelain
Vintage Italy-USA Pin from the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games, 1996
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage Italy-USA Pin from the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. Painted metal. Very good condition.
Metal
Victorian Coromandel Games Compendium c1880
Located in Tunbridge Wells, GB
Heading : Victorian coromandel games compendium Date : c1880 Period : Victoria Origin : England Decoration : Contains: Chess, Draughts and Backgammon board, all chess pieces mounted ...
Wood
$2,574
H 35.83 in W 1.19 in D 1.19 in
Antique French Gold Plate Sevres Porcelain Walking / Sword Stick 19thC 91cm 36"
Located in London, GB
This is a fine antique French gold plate and Sevres porcelain handled walking cane / sword stick, circa 1880 in date. The sword stick a features a finely chased gold plate and Sevr...
Porcelain
$2,450
H 33.47 in W 1.19 in D 1.19 in
Antique French Gold Plated Sevres Porcelain Walking/ Sword Stick 19th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a fine antique French 18ct gold-plated and Sevres porcelain walking stick sword/cane, circa 1880. The sword stick features a finely ch...
Gold, Steel
$280
H 6.88 in W 9.75 in D 6.25 in
Winter Olympic Games 1976 Rubber Mascot Snowman Piggy Bank Vintage Austria
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Original vintage German sport Mascot for the Winter Olympic Games 1976 held in Innsbruck, Austria, "Schneemandl" the Snowman mascot as a piggy bank. Nice addition to any collection. ...
Rubber
$180
H 7.25 in W 5 in D 2.5 in
Sarajevo Winter Olympic Games 1984 Mascot Figure Candlestick Vintage Yugoslavia
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Original vintage sport Mascot Vučko. it is the Olympic mascot of the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. Nice addition to any collection. The metal figure wobbles a bit, this is probab...
Metal
$460
H 4 in W 7.5 in D 10 in
Vintage XXIV Olympic Games 1988 Seoul Korea Snapback Cap Hat with 24 Pins
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Original vintage South Korean Cap Hat for the 24th Summer Olympic Games (Games of the XXIV Olympiad) in 1988 held in South Korea, with 24 Pins of different countries and sports. Some...
Metal
$1,867
H 11.82 in W 11.03 in D 5.12 in
Barcelona Olympic Football Mascot Cobi (1992) by Javier Mariscal
By Javier Mariscal
Located in London, GB
The 1992 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, from 25 July to 9 August 1992. Commonly referred to as Barcelona '92, these games were notable for being the last Summer and Winter Olympics to be held in the same year, as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided thereafter to alternate the events in separate even-numbered years, starting in 1994. This was a pivotal moment in Olympic history, as the Barcelona Games marked the first Summer Olympics held in the post-Cold War era and were free from the boycotts that had plagued previous events, a situation not seen since the 1972 Munich Olympics. Barcelona '92 is widely regarded as one of the most successful Olympic Games, contributing significantly to the modernization and global image of the city. It was also a Games of many firsts: the debut of the "Dream Team" in basketball, which featured NBA players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, and the reintegration of South Africa into the international sports community after a 32-year ban due to apartheid. The participation of a unified German team following the reunification of East and West Germany, and the absence of the Soviet Union (though its former republics competed as the Unified Team), further emphasized the geopolitical shifts of the time. The official mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Games was *Cobi*, a stylized sheepdog designed by Catalan artist and designer Javier Mariscal. Mariscal, already a significant figure in contemporary design, was known for his eclectic and playful style, often blending comic art with a modernist sensibility. His creation of Cobi was a departure from previous Olympic mascots...
Resin
Set of Eight Original Plaques — Mexico 1968 Olympic Games
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Set of eight original plaques from the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games, produced in 1968 as official merchandise sold during the 1968 Summer Olympics he...
Plastic
1920s J.C. Deagan 725 Marimba Model B, Rosewood Keys, 3 Octave
By Deagan
Located in Buffalo, NY
1920s J.C. Deagan 725 Marimba model B, rosewood keys, 3 octave, original condition, amazing Art Deco design. Retains 4 original mallets, Last patent date 1926.
Metal, Steel
$1,236
H 6.7 in W 9.85 in D 0.2 in
Bronze Plaque of the 1912 Stockholm Olympics by Hjördis Nordin-Tengbom
Located in Knivsta, SE
Commemorative Bronze Plaque of the 1912 Stockholm Olympics by Hjördis Nordin-Tengbom Rare and finely cast bronze commemorative plaque created for the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm...
Bronze
Victorian Walnut Games Compendium by Charles Henry, England, 1880
Located in London, GB
The ‘Royal Cabinet of Games’ by Charles Henry, 22 King Street, Manchester, constructed in figured walnut with coromandel edging, enclosing various games including chess, backgammon &...
Walnut
French Sevres Crystal Figural Golf Bag 20th C
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Big Flats, NY
A French figural golf bag by Sevres offers partially frosted crystal construction, signed on base, 20th century Measures - 6.25'' H x 2.5'' W x 2.5'' D.
Crystal
Sèvres Porcelain-Mounted Bird Cage Music Box
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in New Orleans, LA
A mechanical bird sings in its gilded cage in this exceptionally rare French automaton. Combining outstanding artistry with mechanical genius, the gilt brass cage is mounted with han...
Brass
Sold
H 2.37 in W 4.73 in L 2.37 in
Museum Enamel Rare Cobalt-Blue Gold Painted Porcelain Jardinière, 18th Century
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Sofia, BG
Royal and diplomatic gifts. Just as at Meissen, Sèvres was a popular factory for the commission and production of royal and diplomatic gifts, as well as for direct purchases by royal families and the aristocracy. Marie Antoinette was an early supporter, ordering vase garnitures, teawares and dinner-services. In 1784 the queen ordered a sumptuous service decorated with roses, faux pearls and pansies in medallions, on a carmine ground. It was intended for use at Versailles, but upon its completion it was given instead by Louis XVI to Gustav III as a diplomatic gift commemorating the Swedish king’s visit. Unused to self-sacrifice, the French queen did not wait long for her own replacement service in the same pattern. Similarly, in 1782 Louis-Philippe de Bourbon, duc de Chartes, ordered an elaborate bleu celeste service for the common law wife of his friend, Nathaniel Parker Forth, British Special Envoy to France. Each piece is finely painted birds to the center and to the rim based on images found in The Natural History of Birds by the Comte de Buffon (see below). The service eventually came into the collection of Alfred de Rothschild at Halton House, Buckinghamshire, before being acquired by Desmarais family in late 1990s. In the 18th century, porcelain was one of the most highly prized commodities in the world. Only the very wealthy could afford objects made of this fragile material, which was shipped at great expense from the Far East. Porcelain was developed in China around 2,000 years ago but the recipe was a closely guarded secret. It was not until the early 18th century that Johann Friedrich Böttger discovered the magic formula for making true hard-paste porcelain, and in 1710 the Meissen factory was established. Magnificent Very fine antique Museum quality extremely rare enamel cobalt-blue 18-karat gold hand painted porcelain basket...
Porcelain
Sèvres Plate from the Service of Napoleon III
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A plate from the service of Napoleon III, French Emperor from 1852-1870. Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Each plate bears the Royal Cypher of Napoleon, N surmounted by the Imperial...
Porcelain
MP Sèvres Pottery Bronze-Mounted Vase with a Hand-Painted Figure
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine MP Sèvres ceramic vase with a bronze-mounted foot. The hand-painted scened depicts a young gallant in a formal garden. Height: circa 8 in. It...
Pottery