Lidded Bowl

This milky-white bowl with a pierced lid was probably used to hold potpourri, which was common in elegant homes of the 1700s. Decorated with elaborate sculpted basketwork, numerous carefully overlapping leaves, and colorful flowers, this bowl is an example of the highly sophisticated wares produced by craftsmen at the Mennecy Porcelain Manufactory. As an added amusement, the designers painted a caterpillar and leaves on the bottom of the bowl's interior.

This bowl comes from the large and important collection of Lady Charlotte Schreiber, a noted collector of European porcelain. She bought it from a dealer in the town of Versailles, France, and recorded the purchase in her journal on February 17, 1870: "We had intended to go and look at the skating, but the time was too short, and we confined ourselves to the shops. . . . close by the omnibus terminus, we found a very fine Mennecy basket and cover with colored flowers in relief . . ."