Style Japonism, Chinoiserie / Ref.13601

ESCALIER DE CRISTAL, Porcelain Serving Dish Decorated with a Crayfish, circa 1880

This porcelain serving dish adorned with a crayfish was made for L’Escalier de Cristal around 1880.

Founded around 1808 by the widow Désarnaud, the prestigious L’Escalier de Cristal house was taken over by Pierre Isidore Lahoche and then by his associate, Émile Pannier, in 1863. In 1872, the store moved to the newly developed district around the Paris Opéra, under the supervision of Baron Haussmann. Émile Pannier’s two sons, Georges and Henry, succeeded him in 1885. The store closed its doors in 1923.

This piece is a porcelain serving dish. It is a small stand where cakes, for instance, could be placed. The use of this item follows the tradition of the 18^th century, when “silent servants” replaced domestic servants for more privacy. The shapes of this serving dish are reminiscent of some clichés of Rococo art: two different shell motifs with scalloped, yet regular and symmetrical, edges face each other; the whole piece is topped with a crayfish, a motif present in some masterpieces of Rococo art, such as the tureens from the centerpiece designed by Juste Aurèle Meissonnier for the Duke of Kingston in 1735.

Émile Pannier and then his sons sought to follow the trends of their time while maintaining the high quality that made the store’s reputation. They embraced the fascination with East Asian arts that arose in the second half of the 19^th century following Japan’s participation in the 1867 Universal Exhibition, a phenomenon known as “Japonism”. This trend caused a true revolution in Western art, strongly influencing many European artists across all fields. This piece is a testament to that influence: the ornamentation of butterflies and birds on flowering branches against a white background mimics the deliberate lack of depth characteristic of Japanese prints, while the crayfish resembles certain prints by Hiroshige depicting crustaceans.

The L’Escalier de Cristal stamp under the base allows us to date the piece between 1872, when the store moved to the listed addresses, and 1885, when the brand was taken over by Émile’s sons under the name “Pannier frères”.

The fusion of Rococo and Japanese art influences results in a truly unique object of great delicacy, worthy of being counted among the prestigious creations of L’Escalier de Cristal.