Botanique Dinner Plate St John’s Wort

On may 5, 1829 a man calling himself mr. Schaumbourg ordered from the royal sèvres manufactory a porcelain set ornate with floral wreaths. Guillaume ii of hesse, the german prince secretly bought himself a service for 60 persons. The original set was the largest set ever made by the royal manufactory. Sèvres was world-renowned for the talent of its painters as well as the craftsmanship behind its delicate porcelain. The last pieces of the service were delivered in october 1831: the entire service, composed of 566 pieces, required more than two years of dedicated work. Botanique is inspired by the drawings and the work of the painter pierre-joseph redouté. The flowers are rendered with a great deal of realism, exceeding the traditional representation of bouquets in the 18th century, emphasizing the characteristics of each species. The botanical style was at its peak in the early 19th century and reflects the taste of the time for encyclopedic knowledge. The name of each flower is indicated on the back of each plate.