Dalva Brothers Antiques, Antique Furniture, New York

French 18th century furniture, clocks, lighting, paintings, porcelain, sculpture and tapestries

Two very fine and nearly identical Sèvres caisses à fleurs carrées with superb polychrome reserves depicting birds in landscapes; one painted by Louis-Denis Armand, l’ainé, “the Crescent Painter,” and, the second painted by François-Joseph Aloncle on bleu céleste ground, both dated 1764. The flower pots are in the form of wooden orange tubs. They are decorated with colorful and animated pairs of birds in landscapes within shaped cartouches framed by floral gilding.

The design of the cartouche frames is nearly identical, although probably executed by different gilders. The knobs on the Aloncle caisse are slightly larger with fewer, but larger gilded “tear” motifs, and gilded dentilations at the base.

Armand l’ainé is considered the greatest painter of birds at Sèvres. His early signature added a crescent to his distinctive, elaborate rendering of the “crossed L’s” mark of Sèvres. Aloncle was one of the best bird-painters at Sèvres.  [Slight wear to gilding on both. Armand caisse: one foot with chip. Aloncle caisse: one knob restuck.]

[Aloncle] Height - 7" (17.8 cm.)    Width - 5" (12.7 cm.)

[Armand] Height – 6.94"  (17.6 cm.)    Width - 5" (12.7 cm.)             

 Both dated “L” - 1764

 Elaborate Sèvres mark of Armand l’ainé

 Cursive “N” mark of François-Joseph Aloncle