Sevres, Manufacture Imperiale

Soup Plate

Porcelain (hard-paste)

1808

The soup plate in green and gold,with a central rosette and green border with gilt leafage frieze.

This ‘assiette à potage’, or soup plate comes from a 'service d'entrée' ordered by Prince Borghese, husband of Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister. Entered into the Sevres sale books on 7 December 1808 as, ervice d'entrée fond vert de chrome frise d'or and delivered on the 27th of April 1809.

The order consisted of two parts, the ‘service d ’entrée’ of over 330 pieces and the ‘service de dessert’ of over a 150 pieces. This service is sometimes mistakenly referred to as the  ‘Service d’Italie’ even though the Sevres factory does not record that name in their record books.

The Borghese family sold the two complete services in Rome in 1892 - Des Objects d’Art et d’Ameublement qui Garnissent le Grand Appartement au Premier Étage du Palais du Prince Borghese.

The last three photographs are of plates and two wine glass coolers from the ‘service d'entrée' sold in 2008 by Doyle’s NY, and a plate from the ‘service de dessert’ in the Sevres museum.