Saucer with quail and flowering plants c. 1725 - 1749

This delicate saucer was made in Chantilly, France, from soft-paste porcelain, and decorated with painted imagery. The appeal of porcelain has always been as much about its making as its appearance. This particular kind of porcelain was an early European attempt to imitate Chinese hard-paste porcelain. The key was sourcing the right materials and mixing them in the correct proportions. European manufacturers used a mixture of ground glass and clay to mimic the translucent quality of authentic Chinese porcelain. But what gives this saucer its charm is the hand-painted decoration. The soft, fluid lines of the quail and flowering plants show the skilled hand of the painter. It is these aspects of craft, of human touch, that elevate this object beyond mere utility, reminding us of the cultural exchange and artistic innovation that defined the era of porcelain production.