A composed garniture of three gilt-bronze-mounted Sèvres blue-celeste porcelain pot-pourri vases and covers, the porcelain circa 1773-1774, the gilt-bronze mounts in Louis XVI style, early 19th century

decorated with circular reserves painted with pink roses within gilt borders on a blue ground and with scroll handles, waisted socles and square bases with concave corners, the central vase with interlaced LL mark in blue containing date letter u for 1773, painter’s mark for Claude Couturier (active 1762-75, 1783) B for Jean-Pierre Boulanger (active 1754-85), the flanking vases with date letter V for 1774, painter’s marks L for Denis Levé (active 1754-93, 1795-1805), S for Pierre-Antoine Méreaud (active 1754-91), and B for Boulanger; the large vase regilt

Partridge London.

Both are in overall good conserved condition. Two small vases: Some very minor casting flaws to the gilt-bronze. The gilding is original. Some very minor tarnishing and rubbing to the gilding on the handles. The mounts on the large vase have been regilt.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature
Pot-pourri vases and covers Svend Eriksen, Geoffrey de Bellaigue, Sévres Porcelain, Vincennes and Sévres 1740-1800, 1987, pp.132-133.
Linda H. Roth, Clare Le Corbeiller, French Eighteenth-Century Porcelain at the Wadsworth Atheneum, The J. Pierpont Morgan Collection, 2000, pp. 156-158.
Geoffrey de Bellaigue, French Porcelain in the collection of her Majesty the Queen, Volume I, 2009, pp.343-345.

Vases of this form were produced at Sèvres specifically for mounting. Listed in the Sèvres manufacturing inventories variously as vases à monter, gobelet à monter or vases gobelets.

Amongst the earliest mentions is a record in 1762 when a ‘Gobelet à Monter’ was sold for 336 Livres (de Bellaigue, 2009, p.343). The forms proved extremely popular and records exist of purchases being made by the principal marchand-merciers of Paris; Jean Dulac, Simon-Philippe Poirier and Dominique Daguerre, Madame Lair and Bazin are all recorded. On 4^th September 1770 the marchand-mercier Poirier sold for 942 livres ‘une garniture de cheminée de cinq Pieces de porcelaine de france Bleu celeste à petites Roses & montées en bronze doré d’or moulu’. It seems probable that such vases were produced to compete with the fashion for mounting Oriental porcelain.  

A garniture of five bleu-celeste ground Pot-pourri vases, incorporating the smaller egg-shaped vases is in the J. Pierpont Morgan Collection, ref. 1917.1096-1100, published by Roth, Corbeiller, 2000, no.74. A pair of bleu-celeste ground Pot-pourri vases and covers of matching form and decoration to the two central flanking vases, from the René Fribourg collection was sold at Sotheby’s London, 25^th June 1963, lot 58.