Seated Chinese 1725 - 1745

This delicate figure of a seated man was made at the Saint-Cloud factory, one of the earliest producers of soft-paste porcelain in France. Note how the pure white material is expertly molded to capture the sitter’s relaxed pose and detailed clothing. The factory was founded with the express aim of imitating imported Chinese porcelain, which was highly desirable in Europe at the time. But the Saint-Cloud factory was not merely copying. They combined Chinese aesthetics with European sculptural traditions. Soft-paste porcelain is made by combining clay with a glassy substance called frit, which gives it a unique translucent quality. The material is fired at a lower temperature than traditional hard-paste porcelain, allowing for more intricate modeling. The skilled artisans at Saint-Cloud were able to exploit these properties to create visually stunning works like this. The making reveals much about the aspirations and global trade of the 18th century. It’s a reminder that even seemingly simple objects can embody a complex web of cultural exchange and technical innovation.