Furnishings of the Napoleon III style (Second Empire, 1852-1870) were opulent, lavish and beautifully ornamented with gilt bronze.  These lamps are a fine example of the period.  

 

In the early 18th century, the Germans discovered the secret of making hard-paste porcelain, which until that time only Chinese and Japanese craftsmen were able to produce. This discovery took place in the town of Meissen, and of course, King Louis XV of France was jealous of the success of the Meissen factory, wishing to have his own factory for hard-paste porcelain.  France’s initial factory was in Vincennes but Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress and a great patroness of the arts, had it moved to Sèvres, much closer to her chateau. Initially the French factory was trying to imitate Meissen porcelain, but by 1770, the French finally discovered the secret to hard-paste porcelain, only the second manufacturer to do so in Europe.

 

Cartouches (painted scenes) are often featured on Sèvres porcelain, including court scenes, landscapes, mythological stores, military and maritime, hunting and birds.

 

Sèvres also invented a completely new shade of blue – a inky, dark blue found on  Sèvres pieces is commonly called bleu Sèvres or Sèvres blue.

 

This beautiful porcelain was highly sought after by royalty via commission and by the affluent as a status symbol.