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Coffeepot in the Form of an Elephant's Head

1862
Designed and decorated by Marc-Louis-Emmanuel Solon (French, 1835–1913) Made by Sèvres porcelain factory, Sèvres, France (1756–present)

Symbolizing the luxury and exoticism of Asia, the elephant had inspired a number of designs at Sèvres, the French national porcelain factory, from the mid-1700s. The elephant shape and decoration of this coffeepot also demonstrate the humor and technical achievements of its creator, Marc-Louis-Emmanuel Solon. This model was first displayed by Sèvres at the London International Exhibition of 1862. The decoration features an early example of the pâte-sur-pâte (paste on paste) technique, used here by Solon to embellish the head of the elephant and the lid of the coffeepot with thinly layered palmette patterns in white slip.


Object Details

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