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Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

A maker of exemplary European ceramics for hundreds of years, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres has produced porcelain of the highest quality since 1740.

The factory enjoyed royal patronage from its earliest days, and its most prominent patrons in the late 1700s — King Louis XV of France and his mistress, Madame de Pompadour — commissioned some of the period’s most elegant and striking pieces (only the truly wealthy could afford porcelain at this time). The company was originally established in Vincennes but was moved at the request of Madame de Pompadour, in 1756, to Sèvres, near Versailles, so that its operations would be closer to her château.

Sèvres became a mighty and much-revered factory working under a special grant from King Louis XV — the company’s owner as of 1759 and whose abundance of orders for special state gifts put financial strain on the company. Madame de Pompadour is said to have commissioned Sèvres to create an entire indoor garden of porcelain botanicals, for example.

While Sèvres gained a sterling reputation for its soft-paste porcelain wares, the company was late in entering into the production of hard-paste porcelain.

Hard-paste porcelain is the most common type of Chinese porcelain, then a widely exported and profitable product that was not made in Europe until the 18th century. The resources at Sèvres were largely relegated to meeting the demands of Louis XV, and secondly, it did not acquire the secret formula for hard-paste porcelain until 1761. Until it obtained the coveted secrets behind hard-paste porcelain from a chemist named Pierre-Antoine Hannong — and, years later, gained access to the elusive raw materials to make hard-paste porcelain — Sèvres produced soft-paste porcelain for decades that was widely celebrated but is comparatively a far weaker type as opposed to the hard-paste productions of the company’s rival, Meissen, in Saxony, the first to produce true porcelain outside of Asia.

The artisans at Sèvres applied the rarest and most difficult-to-produce colors to their decorative objects and dinner services. One such color, the bright bleu de roi, became the manufacturer’s signature shade and is found on many of their objects. Sèvres also experimented with rarely glazed or unglazed works that bore no decoration at all — bisque porcelain, French for “biscuit,” refers to unadorned white porcelain sculptures made at Sèvres that resemble white marble after being kiln-fired.

Sèvres marks were applied over the glaze or rendered with cuts by a sharp tool — authentic Sèvres porcelain is most commonly marked with two interlaced Ls that are painted in blue and enclose a third letter. Painters and potters were tasked with affixing marks to record their role in the creation of a particular piece, and as a lot of these artisans’ names are recorded in archival factory materials — and there is also much to be learned at the Sèvres museum — it’s likely that you can accurately identify your Sèvres piece.

Find antique and vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres vases, urns, sculptures and more on 1stDibs.

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Period: 1920s
Creator: Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
"Poppies and Tulips, " Extremely Fine Art Deco Vase by Fontaine for Sevres, 1927
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Philadelphia, PA
One of the most exquisitely designed and painted Art Deco pieces we have ever seen, this flaring vase by Anne Marie Fontaine for Sevres features a flaring, trumpet-form upper section...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Pair of Art Deco Blue Ceramic Vases or Urns Paul Milet for Sèvres France, 1925
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Antwerp, BE
Elegant pair of blue Art Deco ceramic vases or urns by Paul Milet for Sèvres. The vases have bronze decorations with a silver patina. They are signed with the artists initials and m...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Art Deco Vases Red Ceramic and Bronze Paul Milet for Sèvres, 1920
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pair of French red ceramic Art Deco vases or urns with dark red glaze and bronze decorations. Paul Milet (1870-1950) son of Optat Milet. France 1920.
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Bronze

1928 Ostrich Stoneware Sculpture from Gaston Le Bourgeois for Sèvres Manufactory
By Gaston Le Bourgeois 1, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Ulm, DE
Gaston Le Bourgeois (1880 - circa 1956) 1928, ostrich sculpture made of stoneware from "Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres" This item was produced only 5 times from 1928 to 1930! Mon...
Category

1920s Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Stoneware

Paul Milet for Sèvres Azure Art Deco Table Lamp with Glass Diffuser Shade
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Cincinnati, OH
This Art Deco era porcelain torchiere table lamp was designed by Paul Milet (1870-1950) for Sèvres and comes complete with its original glass diffuser shade. The body of the lamp has been finished in a rich azure/sapphire jewel...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain, Glass

Art Deco Jardiniere/Vase with Fern Tendril Motif by Sevres, Blue-Green & Brown
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Maurice Gensoli
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Created only a year after the famed Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts), which b...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Related Items
Sèvres Style Porcelain and Gilt Bronze Jardiniere and Vase Garniture
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in London, GB
This exquisite, three-piece garniture will make a wonderful addition to a mantelpiece, niche or table, where its fine design and craftsmanship can be properly enjoyed. The garnitur...
Category

19th Century French Rococo Antique Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

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Bronze, Ormolu

Vintage Pair of Sevres Crystal Vases or Ice Buckets
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in New York, NY
A vintage pair of crystal vases or ice buckets with circular and square pattern marked Sevres, France on the bottom. Good vintage condition with age appropriate wear. Some scratches.
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20th Century French Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

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Crystal

Antique Pair French Sèvres Pink Porcelain Ormolu Mounted Urns Vases Centerpiece
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Dublin, Ireland
Stunning Pair of French Sevres Soft Paste Enameled Porcelain and Ormolu Twin Handle Table or Mantle Urns of traditional urn form and of outstanding quality, and good size proportions...
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19th Century French Late Victorian Antique Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

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Fine Quality Pair of French Sevres Style Porcelain Vases
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A fine quality pair of 19th century French 'Sevres' style vases, having gilded ormolu mounts, a twisted, fluted, ribbed form with turquoise border and floral decoration. We can arra...
Category

19th Century French Antique Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Stoneware Midcentury Sculpture by Bengt Berglund for Gustavsberg, Sweden, 1960s
By Bengt Berglund
Located in Stockholm, SE
Small stoneware sculpture by Bengt Berglund in a cute, cubical form, unglazed with bronze colored glaze running down from the top.
Category

1960s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Wendy Atton Stoneware Sculpture
Located in Leeds, GB
A tall stoneware sculpture by UK ceramic artist Wendy Atton. A rounded form with a pinched top and a highly textured surface. Slight markings to the base.
Category

20th Century British Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Stoneware

Wendy Atton Stoneware Sculpture
Wendy Atton Stoneware Sculpture
H 20.67 in W 5.52 in D 2.37 in
Cheriton Desk Table Lamp, Polished Nickel Spun Shade Glass Diffuser
By And Objects
Located in London, GB
And Objects, product design studio founded by Martin Brudnizki and Nick Jeanes based in London. Showcasing a polished nickel finish and copper interior shade, the Cheriton desk lamp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary British Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass, Copper, Nickel

Blue Ceramic Vase, Sèvres France
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Paris, FR
Blue vase in enameled ceramic Signed under the base "Sevres, Made in France".
Category

20th Century French Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Carousel Ostrich Sculpture
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
Hand carved wood sculpture of carousel ostrich.
Category

1980s Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Wood

Carousel Ostrich Sculpture
Carousel Ostrich Sculpture
H 25 in W 17 in D 5.5 in
Pair of Louis XV Sevres Style Urns
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This stylish set of two 19th century Sevres style urns capture the romance of the 18th century with their form, motifs and coloration. Note: Impres...
Category

Mid-19th Century French Louis XV Antique Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain, Paint

Pair of  Louis XV Sevres Style Urns
Pair of  Louis XV Sevres Style Urns
H 12.13 in W 8.63 in D 6.25 in
Art Nouveau Porcelain Vase by Taxile Doat for Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
By Taxile Doat, Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Chicago, US
The Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, established in 1756, had fallen on hard times by the late 19th century, with critics accusing the factory of a lack of creativity and imagination...
Category

Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Antique Pair French Sèvres Style Porcelain Gilt Mounted Urns Vases Centerpieces
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Dublin, Ireland
An Imposing and Stunning Pair French Sevres style Soft Paste Hand Decorated pale yellow ground Porcelain and gilt mounted twin swan neck scroll...
Category

19th Century French Early Victorian Antique Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Ormolu

Previously Available Items
French 1920s Sevre Porcelain Table Lamp
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Fairfax, VA
Beautiful 1920s Sevres porcelain vase customized to a table lamp and later bronze base has been added. Professionally rewired with 3-way socket and fitted with silk lampshade.
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Early 20th Century Table Lamp by Sèvres Louis XVI-Style Bronze Gilt Ornaments
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Casteren, Noord-Brabant
Beautiful antique table lamp by the French maker Sèvres. The lamp base has a special blue color, typical of the work of Sèvres. The lamp i...
Category

1920s French Louis XVI Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Bronze

1920-1930 Sèvres Art Deco Crystal Sculpture Table Lamp
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Fairfax, VA
Clear high light polished frost heavy crystal with nickel finish base table lamp slightly draped young woman tenderly carrying a sheep on her shoulders. Signed in front crystal de ...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Crystal, Nickel

Sèvres Tea Service, Mazarine Blue and Gilt, Art Deco, 1923
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in London, GB
On offer is a stunning Sèvres tea service for 6 in the elegant Art Deco style, made in 1923. Sèvres Porcelain is among the most famous in the wor...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Platter with Gilt Metal Surround by Paul Millet for Sevres
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres, Paul Millet
Located in Palm Desert, CA
This wonderful and stylish platter designed by Paul Millet exhibits the Classic dappled glaze from this factory. The gilt metal features stylized flowers a...
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Brass

French Art Deco Inkwell by Sèvres
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Paris, FR
French Art Deco inkwell signed Sèvres, circa 1920.
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

French Art Deco Inkwell by Sèvres
French Art Deco Inkwell by Sèvres
H 2.37 in W 3.15 in D 1.97 in
Pair of Sèvres French Hand-Painted Porcelain Urn Form Table Lamps White & Gold
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Stunning pair of antique French porcelain and gilt bronze Sèvres (marked on underside) urn form table lamps featuring gilt bronze accents and acorn finials, and finely hand-painted o...
Category

1920s French Louis XV Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Bronze

Pair of M.P. Sèvres Porcelain Table Lamps
By Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres
Located in Fairfax, VA
Pair of emerald green with stike1920's Sèvres porcelain lamp with black patinated silver on bronze and with geometric design base and caps that complement beauty of this lamps.
Category

1920s French Art Deco Vintage Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture

Materials

Silver, Bronze

Manufacture Nationale De Sèvres furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of ceramic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres furniture, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original furniture by Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres were created in the Louis XVI style in europe during the 19th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Cristalleries De Sevres, Eugene-Antoine Aizelin, and Claude Michel Clodion. Prices for Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $225 and can go as high as $285,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,003.
Questions About Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres Furniture
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    There are some telltale signs to look for when you’re authenticating a piece of Sèvres porcelain. Fakes of this prized French porcelain have been made since the 19th century, so simply having the interlaced “L” mark of Sèvres may not be enough. Look for unsightly or sloppily-painted scenes and decorations. The colors should fit right with one another, and the guilding should be fine and lightly applied. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of expertly-vetted Sèvres porcelain from some of the world’s top sellers.

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