Pair of Pot-pourri Bowls

The marchands-merciers of eighteenth-century Paris devised ingenious ways to adapt rare and exotic materials to tempt their clients. These luxury good dealers purchased lacquer, porcelain, and hardstone vessels or panels and sent them to craftsmen with explicit orders to create interesting and decorative designs by combining the objects with new elements.

Combining porcelain with gilt bronze was one of the dealer's main activities. Here shell-shaped Japanese porcelains from Arita or early Hirado kilns have been transformed into potpourri vases by adding gilt bronze feet, lids, and handles in Paris. Delicate golden shells form the feet of each vase, and the handles are made of twisted bands of seaweed. Craftsmen perforated each imitation fan coral lid, allowing the scent of the potpourri to emerge.