Pair of Vases (Pots Pourris à Bobèches)

Applied Arts of Europe

c. 1759

Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory (French, founded 1740)
Designed by Jean-Claude Duplessis (French, c. 1695–1774)
Painting attributed to by André-Vincent Vieillard (French, 1717–90, active 1752–90)

These multi-functional vessels served as both candleholders and room fresheners. Potpourri or burning pastilles were inserted at the foot of each vase, and the perfume was released through the intricate piercing along the sides and the bulblike projection between the candleholders. The resulting scent created the illusion that the porcelain flowers atop the vases were alive.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Applied Arts of Europe

Artist: Jean-Claude Duplessis (Designer)
Title: Pair of Vases (Pots Pourris à Bobèches)
Place: Sèvres (Object made in)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 1754–1764
Medium: Soft-paste porcelain, polychrome enamels, and gilding
Dimensions: 1994.371.1: 24.2 × 15 × 8.9 cm (9 1/2 × 5 7/8 × 3 1/2 in.); 1994.371.2: 24.8 × 15.3 × 8.9 cm (9 3/4 × 6 × 3 1/2 in.)
Credit Line: Joseph Maier and Arthur Lewis Liebman Memorial: Gift of Kenneth J. Maier, M.D.
Reference Number: 1994.371.1-2
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/135716/manifest.json

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.