Sevres porcelain vase

This vase is one of a pair in Norwich Castle's collections, but they are believed to have been made originally as part of a larger set. Porcelain from the French factory, Sèvres, was particularly prized. These vases are thought by specialists to once have been part of a set made for Lord Bolingbroke.

The decoration of these vases is typical of the Sèvres style of the time. The turquoise glaze was known as 'bleu celeste' or 'heavenly blue'. A palette of light colours, with a predominance of pinks and blues, mingled with abundant gilding, was a feature of the Rococo style in decorative art. The fashion originated in France in the mid-eighteenth century, and was also copied in England.

These vases have traces of metal inside their necks. These would once have been fittings to hold an arrangement of individual porcelain and sugar paste flowers. The height of fashion for a grand dinner table was to create an elaborate display of sweets, candied fruits and flowers modelled in sugar paste. These would be incorporated within a centrepiece of equally decorative porcelain vases and dessert dishes, to maximise the impressive effect.