{"id":361588,"date":"2022-02-11T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-11T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=361588"},"modified":"2022-02-11T17:06:52","modified_gmt":"2022-02-11T22:06:52","slug":"soup-tureens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/soup-tureens\/","title":{"rendered":"Makers from Meissen to Cindy Sherman Bring Whimsy to Your Winter Table"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"1990<\/a>
Contemporary photographer Cindy Sherman<\/a> worked with the Ancienne Manufacture Royale de Limoges to produce this 1990 tureen<\/a> featuring a portrait of Sherman dressed as 18th-century courtier and tastemaker Madame de Pompadour. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Not to be confused with a tagine<\/a> or a terrine<\/a> \u2014 though they’re also lidded vessels \u2014 tureens<\/a> have been among the brightest stars of a luxuriously appointed table since the 17th century. Their unusual combination of practicality and artistic flourish make them desirable to collectors and home chefs alike. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word tureen<\/em> first appeared in English at the beginning of the 18th century, derived from the French terrine<\/em>, meaning \u201cearthen vessel\u201d (from the Latin terra<\/em> meaning \u201cearth\u201d), as they were made from clay. These large covered dishes kept soups and stews warm at the table and made it possible to serve guests elegantly with minimal fuss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Renowned<\/a>
Renowned German porcelain maker Meissen<\/a> created this pair of swans<\/a> in the late 18th or early 19th century.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

One legend about the origin of the term claims that the 17th-century French military leader the Vicomte de Turenne<\/a> used his helmet as an improvised soup bowl on the battlefield. But it\u2019s more likely that the word and the form gradually gained popularity because the piece served its two functions so well: It streamlined the presentation and service of a somewhat unwieldy food, and it gave hosts a new canvas on which to display their good taste and refinement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/a>
This 1784 vessel<\/a> by French silversmith Jean-Baptiste-Fran\u00e7ois Ch\u00e9ret is topped with an elegant bunch of carrots, celery and cauliflower.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Tureens proliferated in Great Britain and North America in the 18th century, thanks in large part to the culinary influence of France. King Louis XIV<\/a> (1638\u20131715) was quite fond of savory soups and stews. During his reign, the French court employed a form of dining known, naturally, as service \u00e0 la fran\u00e7aise<\/em>, in which all the meal’s courses are brought to the table simultaneously. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This method \u2014 which was replaced by the stepwise service \u00e0 la russe<\/em> in the 19th century \u2014 necessitates temperature control, and tureens kept their contents warm while also dazzling courtiers with their exquisite exteriors. For elaborate meals, smaller tureens were used for sauces, mustards and other accompaniments, adding to the visual spectacle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n