
The design for this monumental vase was begun around 1810 during the reign of Napoleon I, but it was not completed and released from the Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory until 1814, after the emperor’s defeat and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Recognizing the diplomatic potential of such a magnificent vase, King Louis XVIII presented it to the British foreign secretary, Viscount Castlereagh, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry. The gift was likely a strategic attempt by the French to gain British favor, as Castlereagh played a key role in rebalancing power in Europe during the Congress of Vienna following Napoleon’s defeat.

E-26: French Anteroom of the Empire Period, c. 1810
Designed by Narcissa Niblack Thorne American, 1882-1966

Panel
After designs by Charles Percier (French, 1764–1838) and Pierre François Leonard Fontaine (French, 1762–1853) France

The Rock
Peter Blume (American, born Smorgon, Russian Empire, now Belarus, 1906–1992)