Literature

A Pair of French 18th Century Soft-Paste Sèvres Porcelain Juice Cups from the service given by King Louis XV of France to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria 1758 (pots à jus)

The circular cups have a concave profile set over an incurving lower section and a cushioned footrim; set with a scrollwork handle to one side. Each is painted with flower garlands in natural colours amongst two inter-woven ribbons of green ground colour. A band of green ground colour at the foot. Burnished gilding highlights the handles, rims and the edges of the ribbons.

The service was given by Louis XV to Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, following the military alliance between France and Austria concluded in 1756 during which was also contracted the marriage of her daughter, later known as Marie- Antoinette, with future King Louis XVI. These monarchs again strengthened their intentions through partly public and partly secret agreements concluded in December 1758 by which time the production of this Sèvres service was well under way.

The service is recorded in the Journal des Présents du Roi (Archives of the Ministry of the Foreign Office, France) on 2nd June 1759 costing 48,981 livres 10 sous.

The majority of the service is still at the Hofburg Palace, Vienna. No pot à jus from this service is known with a cover. The service originally had 14 pots à jus costing 48 livres each.