37 - Sèvres, 18th century, 1786

Sèvres, 18th century, 1786 Soft-paste porcelain shell-shaped fruit bowl with polychrome decoration: in the center, a group of flowers and fruits; along the rim, bouquets of flowers in four medallions framed by leafy scrolls and gold garlands on a beautiful blue background. Marked: interlaced “LL,” letter-date “II” for 1786, painter’s mark of Guillaume Noël, and gilder’s mark of Chauvaux. Wear to the gilding and restored chips. L. 22 cm Provenance: This fruit bowl comes from a service presented as a diplomatic gift in July 1787 by King Louis XVI to Pedro Pablo Abarca de Bolea Ximiez de Urré, Count of Aranda, Spanish ambassador to France between 1773 and 1787. The decoration of this service is described as a “King’s blue” background, painted with groups of flowers and fruits, and rich gilding. It comprised 172 plates at the high price of 72 livres each and 16 fruit bowls in four different shapes at 78 livres each. See D. Peters, *Sèvres Plates and Services of the 18th Century*, 2015, vol. IV, nos. 87–7, pp. 833–836.