Getty Museum

Pair of Vases

Date

about 1770

Medium

Porcelain; gilt-bronze mounts

Culture

French

Department

Decorative Arts

Institution

Getty Museum

Around 1770 vases of simple shape were made in France specifically to be mounted in elaborate gilt-bronze mounts; consequently, they were known as *vases à monter* (vases for mounting). In this case, the plain dark blue color of the porcelain highlights the strong character of the gilt-bronze elements. The mounts include a heavy pedestal-like base, a swag of laurel around the upper half, and a wide gadrooned rim at the top. The overall design is in the early phase of neoclassicism known in French as the *goût grec* – a style characterized by bold shapes of symmetrical design with heavy ornamentation inspired by decorative elements found in ancient Greek or Roman art.

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