The Precious Collection of Porcelain and Silverware
The Quirinal Palace houses one of the world's most important collections of porcelain and silverware, with pieces from the finest manufactures. Discover some of them!
Flower box (1753/1756) by Vincennes Manufactory, later Vincennes Royal ManufactoryQuirinale Palace
The Vincennes flowerpot, Louis XV's gift to his daughter
On the pale blue background of this magnificent flared flowerpot, the gold decorations and images associated with Louis XV stand out. They sit within reserves framed by flowering branches and objects, such as a rake and a horn.
At the front, on a historiated base, is the bust of Louis XV of France. He is surrounded by cherub musicians and is dressed as a patron, wearing a laurel wreath.
Lying on the ground are a helmet, breastplate, and sword.
Flower box (1753/1756) by Vincennes Manufactory, later Vincennes Royal ManufactoryQuirinale Palace
The sides feature symbols of painting, sculpture, music, and dance, which make reference to his daughter Louise-Élisabeth's love for the arts. Wife of Philip of Bourbon, Duke of Parma, she received this flowerpot as a Christmas gift from the king.
The precious flowerpot was made in Vincennes Castle, site of the porcelain factory that moved to Sèvres in 1756.
Service parts on a partially blue background, plate (1769) by Royal manufacture of SèvresQuirinale Palace
The Sèvres plate and the strange dedication to the king's favorite
The plate, dated 1769, is part of an elegant Sèvres dinner service with extraordinary decorations. It was probably commissioned by Louise-Élisabeth, wife of the Duke of Parma, Philip of Bourbon, and daughter of Louis XV of France, shortly before her death.
On the plate is a bouquet of roses
And gold decorations with oak leaf wreaths.
Service parts on a partially blue background, detail of plate (1769) by Royal manufacture of SèvresQuirinale Palace
It is adorned with birds depicted within idyllic nature settings.
Signed by the painter Jean-Baptiste Tandart, the plate holds a surprise: on the brim is a tiny dedication "to Madame du Barry", hidden in a note held in the beak of a colorful bird. The bird is flying towards a rose bush; a possible reference to the young woman's complexion.
It could be a hidden homage to Louis XV's new favorite, whose presentation at the palace (April 22, 1769) had created a huge scandal. Nonetheless, her undisputed beauty must have fueled the imagination of Tandart, engaged in a job that was perhaps rather monotonous and repetitive.
Oval soup tureen with hunting scenes (1821/1824) by Turin manufacture (so-called "Master of the little scissors")Quirinale Palace
The soup tureen with hunting scenes
The tureen, in embossed and chiseled silver and with cast silver decorations, has a large oval body, supple gooseneck handles, and a rim decorated with grooves that are repeated on the circular foot together with stylized leaves.
On the body, the upper band shows wild boar and deer hunting scenes, while the lower band displays oak leaves and plant forms.
The palmette lid is topped by a handle depicting a hunting trophy: the helpless body of a bird lying on oak leaves.
The work of a skilled and mysterious goldsmith, it combines elements of 18th-century and Restoration styles. It was commissioned by Carlo Felice.
Tureen, Paris table service by Charles Nicolas OdiotQuirinale Palace
The French soup tureen
Characterized by a high circular foot on a volute and adorned with leaf and bead motifs, the body of this lavish tureen is decorated in a sophisticated manner, with swirls of pod-shaped leaves and flowers.
On the body are grafted handles made of luxuriant double volutes with plant motifs.
The foot decorations are repeated on the lid and enriched on the handle by elaborate decorations of flowers and fruit.
It was made by Charles Nicolas Odiot of the ancient and famous dynasty of goldsmiths.
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