The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Covered Broth Bowl and Stand (Écuelle ronde et plateau ovale)

1772
manufacturer

Sèvres Porcelain Factory

(French, est. 1756)
decorated by

François-Joseph Aloncle

(French)
France, Sèvres
soft-paste porcelain with enamel and gilt decoration
Overall: 11.2 x 20.2 cm (4 7/16 x 7 15/16 in.); Part 1: 10.2 x 14.8 cm (4 x 5 13/16 in.)
Bequest of Katherine Holden Thayer 1986.43
Location: 216A French and German

Did You Know?

Two different colors of gold decorate these objects’ borders, exemplifying more complex forms of gilding introduced in the 1770s.

Description

Birds were collected in all forms during the 18th century following an increased European interest in natural history. The birds on this bowl and stand were painted by François-Joseph Aloncle, one of the Sèvres porcelain factory’s principal bird painters. Small, two handled bowls like this one would hold broths or soups consumed by an individual during the toilette, a ritual of washing and dressing practiced by the 18th-century French elite.
  • R. Henry Norweb, Cleveland; Katharine Holden Thayer, Gates Mills, Ohio.
  • Year in Review for 1986. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 4-March 15, 1987).
  • {{cite web|title=Covered Broth Bowl and Stand (Écuelle ronde et plateau ovale)|url=false|author=Sèvres Porcelain Factory, François-Joseph Aloncle|year=1772|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1986.43