Médicis Vase

The design of this 19th-century porcelain vase was inspired by the form of the Medici vase, said to recall the crater forms of Pompeii. The vase is decorated with 24-carat gold, contrasting with black enamel. The gold motifs on the vase were based on the sketches by Dominique-Vivant Denon, made during Napoleon’s campaign in Egypt.

Courtesy of Manufacture de Sèvres

● Type: Vase
● Dimensions: 31.1 H x 24.7 Ø cm
● Material: Porcelain, 24k gold, enamel
● Date: 2013

The vase is a part of the Egyptian Service that was created in 1801, following Napoleon's military campaign and invasion of Egypt. He commissioned the Manufacture de Sèvres to create a tableware set to commemorate the event. The set is made up of 72 plates of different shapes and sizes. The service was created by Jean Charles Nicolas Brachard Aîné who worked for Sèvres between 1782 and 1824.

Porcelain VirtuosityExhibition