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Acquired by Bernardaud in 1986, the Ancienne Manufacture Royale is part of the history of France. Offering identical replicas of original 18th and 19th century museum pieces, Bernardaud helps to preserve a portfolio of skills and techniques that belong to France's extremely rich cultural heritage.
The first prestigious service produced by the Royal Manufactory after it acquired its royal status, the A La Reine service was issued in 1784 and the original pieces can be found today in the collections of the world’s greatest museums. The curves of its “Comte d’Artois” shape are characteristic of the elegant lines given to precious objects at the time.
Its floral decoration is characteristic of the second half of the 18th century and the reign of Louis XVI. The design includes bouquets and swathes of flowers - honeysuckle, roses, tulips, carnations and daisies - painted au naturel and in saturated colors. At the time, their studied spontaneity was designed to conceal slight imperfections in the porcelain caused by wood firing. A thin blue band at the rim highlights its gilded, scalloped border design.
Many of the original pieces are held by the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges, France.
The Elysée service was produced by the Sèvres Manufactory in 1832, for the personal use of King Louis-Philippe at the Tuileries Palace. From the very start of his reign, Louis-Philippe preferred to entirely replace the table settings of the royal residences rather than make use of pieces inherited from his predecessors.
Created in 1793 by the Sèvres Manufactory, this service was inspired by the illustrations found in «L’Histoire naturelle des oiseaux» (The Natural History of Birds) by Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon (1707 – 1788), a naturalist, mathematician, biologist, cosmologist, and French writer from the 18th century. As steward of the King’s private natural history collection, he devoted his life to the study of nature, and his ten volumes of «L’Histoire naturelle» have been an invaluable asset to French scientists.
Amongst the 1008 illustrations from the book, this service represents examples with the most fantastic plumage and striking colours.
The shape of this superb service is characteristic of the Empire style: the coffee pot with its recessed lid, the twin-ringed sugar bowl, and the creamer, which is a diminutive version of an Etruscan hanap, or goblet. The black border design stands out strikingly from the yellow rim that shows to advantage these creatures from around the world.
The original pieces of this dinnerware service are proudly displayed at the Buffon Museum located in Montbard, France.
A hunting enthusiast, Louis XVI acquired the Rambouillet estate in 1783. To make the estate more attractive in the eyes of his wife, Marie-Antoinette, the King had a charming dairy farm constructed.
Designed by Jean-Jacques Lagrenée, artistic director of the Sèvres Manufactory, the porcelain service is composed of daring shapes, decoration and colors for the period… Produced by the Sèvres Manufactory two years before the French Revolution in 1789, the collection illustrates the refinement of French luxury before the fall of the Ancien Regime.
The originals pieces are housed in the National Ceramics Museum in Sèvres, France.