Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Unusual Artifacts: A Potpourri Case and Pastille Burner, 1730s

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Potpourri Case and Pastille Burner
St. Cloud Porcelain Factory
Paris, 1730s
The Victoria & Albert Museum



Made in Paris in the 1730s, this potpourri case and cover is made of porcelain. It takes the from of a gourd with an oval opening at the top. The cover fits into this aperture which is surrounded by perforations which allow the scent to escape. 


The piece of soft-paste porcelain is molded in relief. The work of the Saint-Cloud Porcelain Factory, the vase also doubles as a pastille burner. Pastilles were a tablet of a fragrant medium bound in gum which, when heated by a candle flame in the base, emitted a pleasing aroma. 


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