Darte Frères - Ovoid Cup With “troubadour” Decoration And Knurled Friezes - Circa 1820

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Cup and saucer
Painted and gilded hard porcelain
Dimensions :
Paris, circa 1825

Unusual ovoid cup and saucer with full troubadour decoration, featuring friezes of ogival arches in green tones on a “marbled” background, as well as characters in ochre-brown monochrome. Application of a relief decoration of friezes of pearls, oves and palmettes based on the “wheel” process developed and patented by Manufacture de Nast.

Darte Frères

Originally three brothers, they began manufacturing and trading porcelain in 1795, purchasing a factory on rue de Charonne, alongside which they opened a store in the Palais Royal. In 1804, they parted company amicably. Brothers Louis Joseph and Jean François founded a new company, retaining the name Darte Frères, and set up shop on rue de la Roquette, while Joseph Darte continued as “Darte Ainé à Paris” and moved to rue de Popincourt.
The brothers prospered (from 80 to 100 workers in peacetime), and an 1809 advertisement announced that the factory had been renamed “Manufacture de porcelaine de S.A.I. Madame Mère de S.M. L'Empereur et Roi”.In 1816, a second store opened at 16, rue Vienne (the first in the Palais Royal had been in operation since 1798).
The factory took part in the 1819 exhibition and, as in 1806, won a silver medal. However, things began to get complicated in 1820, and three years later the brothers divided the company's ailing assets between themselves. In 1824, Louis Joseph joined forces with one of his sons, Auguste Remi, but the business collapsed a year later. Bankruptcy was declared in 1828.

Condition report: excellent condition.