173 - VINCENNES

VINCENNES “Ordinary” oil jar on four legs surrounded by acanthus leaves, with a lid featuring an orange motif—including leaves and buds—and a second-size tray with openwork shells. Polychrome decoration featuring bouquets of flowers and butterflies. The rims, finished in bleu nouveau, are accented with a gold fillet. The handles are adorned with a bleu nouveau ribbon edged in gold. Marked beneath the tureen and beneath the tray with two intertwined L’s and the year 1755, the mark of the painter Aubert père, active between 1754 and 1758. 18th century. Length of the oil jar: 29.5 cm Length of the tray: 40.5 cm Repaired circular crack on the oil jar; cracks on the mandarin-shaped decoration of the lid. A similar model is illustrated in Préaud and A. d’Albis, *La Porcelaine de Vincennes*, p. 74, and in *Catalogue of the Sèvres Collection: The Wallace Collection*, by Rosalind Savill. The oil jug was created in three sizes by Jean-Claude Duplessis Sr.; the shape can be found in his design for the “ornamented” soup dish. It appeared between December 31, 1753, and January 1, 1758. This oille pot with a sky-blue base was commissioned for the king’s dinner service in 1751 and delivered between 1753 and 1755. This oille pot appeared in most table services until 1790; it was the most expensive piece. The word “oille” derives from the Spanish “olla,” meaning “cooking pot,” and was described in 1768 as “a Spanish stew consisting of a mixture of all kinds of meats and vegetables, cooked in a large pot; there is scarcely a grand table in France where this dish is not known .” It could also contain all kinds of birds confit in flavored juices. The pot à oille was placed at the ends of the table, and the tray could be used to serve meats separately; it was often accompanied by two oval terrines. The terrines or pot à oille were generally delivered with a silver lining, sometimes accompanied by handles. Regarding Louis XV’s order in Lazare Duvaux’s book, it is noted: “a pot à oille (for the king) and its platter, 600 livres; the silver bowl and lid trim, 180 livres.” Gold gilding is worn on one side of the lid and the rim of the terrine; a chip and pitting on the rim of the tray have been repaired.