Name/Title
Sèvres CachepotContext
The ebonized Boulle cabinets in the NCHM French Parlor that flank the doorway to the Front Foyer each have a blue and gold cachepot sitting on top. The word, cachepot, comes from the French word, cacher, meaning, "to hide". These pots were used to put potted plants in so that the less attractive flowerpot would not be seen. Unlike flowerpots, cachepots do not have a hole at the bottom for drainage.
These cachepots were produced at the French royal manufactory in Sèvres, the most influential and prestigious porcelain factory in Europe during the second half of the 18th century. They are colored in the shade of blue known as bleu céleste, the signature color of Sèvres porcelain. These pots were made sometime between 1850-1880, long after the heyday of Sèvres porcelain making when its production was an exclusive right of the French monarchy. By the mid-1800s the French people had by and large lost interest in bleu céleste ware and its imperial associations, and the market was dominated by British and American buyers.
Our bleu céleste cachepots each feature a gilt bronze footed base, gilt handles shaped like lion heads, and an intricately detailed gilded band encircling the top. The bronze metal work is gilded with a mercury-based process, known as ormolu, that is no longer legal in France due to the dangers of mercury poisoning. The front and back of each of these pots show medallions of flower bouquets and pastoral scenes, likely inspired by the paintings of Jean-Antoine Watteau or François Boucher.
These pots were given to the NCHM by Laura Barrow in memory of her mother, Laura Driscoll Thomson. They had previously been installed in Mrs. Thomson's French Parlor at her home in San Antonio. You can see them, and all of our colorful artifacts, Wed-Sun, 11-4pm.Acquisition
Accession
1959.01Source or Donor
Mrs. Leonidas T. Barrow (Laura Thomson)Acquisition Method
GiftCredit Line
In Mem of donor's mother, Laura Driscoll Thomson (Mrs. Henry D.) of San Antonio