Art Institute of Chicago

Vase (Cuvette Mahon)

Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory (French, founded 1740)

Date

c. 1760

Medium

Soft-paste porcelain, polychrome enamels, and gilding

Culture

Sèvres

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This wide-mouthed vase tapers sharply above four feet, which are formed by voluptuous scrolls. This rococo form was first produced in 1756 and was eventually made in three sizes, of which this is the largest. It was named vase Mahón to commemorate a military victory in the Seven Years’ War, in which the French captured the British-held town of Mahón on the island of Minorca. Ironically, neither the shape nor the painted decoration of this piece relates to the battle.

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