Sèvres Médicis Vases Commissioned by Napoléon for Talleyrand

Pair of Médicis Vases Commissioned by Napoléon for Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
Sèvres
Circa 1806

Commissioned by Emperor Napoléon I and executed by the world-renowned Sèvres manufactory, this extraordinary pair of vases was presented to Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince of Benevento—one of history’s most gifted diplomats whose influence spanned successive French regimes. Their provenance links two of the most formidable figures of the early 19th century, embodying the confluence of imperial ambition and refined taste that defined the First Empire.

To Napoleon, who valued merit and brilliance above all, Talleyrand’s counsel was indispensable in shaping the Empire. The diplomat had served Louis XVI, survived the Revolution, advised Napoleon with strategic brilliance, remained essential under Louis XVIII and later guided France through the reign of Louis-Philippe. These vases were presented to the diplomat by the Emperor on the occasion of the marriage of Stéphanie Louise Adrienne de Beauharnais to Karl Ludwig Friedrich, Prince of Baden.

Taking the celebrated Médicis form, the vases feature a deep beau bleu ground enriched with gilt bronze-mounted Jupiter heads and sumptuous gilding throughout by Charles-Marie-Pierre Boitel. Rather than imperial insignia, the hand-painted decoration by Gilbert Drouet is composed of garlands of purple bellflowers—symbols of constancy and gratitude—designed with scientific precision by Alexandre Brongniart père, a botanist turned painter at Sèvres. Each flower’s naturalistic rendering reflects both Brongniart’s rare technical mastery and the Emperor’s calculated symbolism: a visual tribute to Talleyrand’s brilliance, loyalty and indispensability. Notably, Brongniart’s original preparatory drawing for this floral motif is preserved in the Sèvres archives.

The manufactory’s official records confirm that these vases were commissioned by Napoléon specifically for Talleyrand at a cost of 1,200 francs—an extraordinary sum equivalent to four years of a laborer’s wages. Few commissions of this magnitude were ever produced. Closely related examples include a Médicis vase with floral decoration ordered by Napoléon for Ferdinand III of Habsburg-Lorraine, now in the Uffizi Gallery, and a pair of lilac-ground floral vases created for Empress Marie-Louise, which remain at Compiègne. Displayed at the Palais Vivienne among one of the finest Napoleonic collections ever assembled, this pair represents an unparalleled convergence of imperial history, diplomacy, and the pinnacle of French porcelain artistry.

Red stenciled Manufacture Impériale de Sèvres marks with date symbol for Revolutionary Year 14, and BT gilder’s mark for Boitel in gilding.

Each on bases: 22 3/8" high x 12 1/4" diameter

Literature:
C. Leprince, Napoléon 1er et La Manufacture de Sèvres: l’Art de la Porcelaine au Service de l’Empire, Paris, 2016, p. 184, no. 5.

Provenance:
Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince of Benevento, Paris
Private collection, Paris
M.S. Rau, New Orleans