Vase, China Porcelain, Similar Mount, Louis XV Period

Vase in China porcelain and similor, powder-blue gold from China first half of the 18th century, setting Paris around 1750. Meas. (H x W x D): 28 x 15 x 12.5 cm. Beautiful porcelain vase in powder-coated China, with floral decoration in very altered gold, mounted in similor (alloy of zinc and brass imitating gold by its natural color). The frame of similaror is composed of several parts screwed on the porcelain. The base with the shredded and dissymmetrical visual associating moldings, acanthes and openwork rocks is typically of the years 1740-1750. It continues along the belly of the vase to form the coves handled by branches of laurel as they are found on appliques realized by François Thomas Germain in 1756 after Contant d'Ivry (Getty museum, Los Angeles). The handles are divided into two windings of foliage joining the lip of the vase also mounted of similor. The openwork lid is very neat with its staples, cabbage leaves and flowers. The similor is a fairly rare material and an innovation of the eighteenth century. It was once used to compete with gold and golden bronze. In the eighteenth century it is mentioned in particular for objects of "semi-luxury" which take up the topoï of the most luxurious objects. Nowadays very few objects in this material have reached us. They have therefore become rare and sought after. Our object exposes the inventiveness of merchants-merciers, combining various materials to please an avid and varied clientele. He is also a rare witness of the "populuxe" that develops on the margins of the big "merchant-mercier jouailliers" brands such as Hébert, Darnault and Duvaux. The golden floral decoration has almost disappeared from the vase of China. Very good general state of bronze.