Style Napoleon III / Ref.12827

Imari porcelain covered pot on a Napoleon III gilt bronze mount, 19th century

This important covered pot was made of Imari porcelain, then mounted in gilt bronze in the second half of the 19th century.
The name of the porcelain comes from its fist place of exportation, the Imari port in Japan from where it is exported to the European Artistocracy from 1757, then ver keen on the Asian porcelain.
The Imari syle is characterized by three colors : the kaolin white on the background, the iron red accompanied with gold touches and the cobalt blue. Also by a decor composed of many floral motifs and from the animal and mineral world, that are exploiting the space in an original and asymetrical way.

We can find ou our pot these very same colors and small scenes where birds are coming out in very luxurious floral decoration. The handle of the lip was shaped to represent a small white rabbit. Our pot rests on a Napoleon III style gilt bronze mount, characterized by a well known mix of the previous styles creating on the same occasion an ostentatious effect, fancy by the sumptuous period. Thus, we can see four large claw feet holding a square base with roses on the corners. The sides, with a gadrooned upper part, receive a Greek frieze of waves and impressive cartouche framed by acanthus leaves and volutes. The junction between the porcelain and the bronze is done by a very beautiful laurel torus, reminding of the Louis XVI style.