BRUSSELS - LOUIS CRETTÉ MANUFACTURE - Lot 258

BRUSSELS - LOUIS CRETTÉ MANUFACTURE Hard porcelain cup and saucer with polychrome decoration depicting a bird captioned at the top in a reserve "Fauvette des Alpes". Gold scrolls and rows of pearls. Unmarked. Early 19th century H: 6.2 cm D saucer: 13.2 cm Slight wear to the gold on the saucer. Hard porcelain cup and saucer with polychrome decoration depicting a bird captioned at the top in a reserve "le Tarin". Gold foliage and rows of pearls. Cup marked "L. Cretté à Brux." in red. Early 19th century H: 6.2 cm D saucer: 13.2 cm Slight wear to the gold on the saucer. Cup probably part of the large service known as "Premier Consul Bonaparte". Comprising some 1,100 pieces, this service was created in Year XI (1802-1803) by the Brussels porcelain factory run by Louis Cretté (1758-1813). In 1803, Cretté wanted to take advantage of First Consul Bonaparte's visit to Belgium to demonstrate the qualities of his factory and win orders from the new French regime. To flatter the head of state's wife, the future Empress Josephine, Louis Cretté created a service decorated with exotic birds based on Buffon's Histoire naturelle. Only part of this service was offered to the First Consul during his visit to Liège on August 3, 1803. The hoped-for sale never materialized, and the service was dispersed among private and public collections; a large part is now preserved at the Maison du Roi, Grand-Place, Brussels. Bibliography: Jean Lemaire, Faïence et porcelaine de Bruxelles, 2003, pages 124 & 125. Expert: Aline Josserand