Literature

All pieces except the tray with interlaced Ls, date-letter E for 1758, painter’s mark a heraldic label for André-Vincent Vielliard, known as Vielliard père (active 1752-90).

This shape of tray was first produced in around 1753, and the more frequently-found version with pierced sides is known from 1757. Ours is a rare example of the largest size and with the early dark blue (bleu lapis) ground. Most square trays were intended to hold just one cup and saucer, forming the classic déjeuner carré, as described in the Wallace Collection catalogue. This un-commonly large square tray appears to be the only one known with more pieces, although they are all small examples of their shapes.

As is usual with Vielliard, the children are taken from engravings after paintings by François Boucher.

Several costly bleu lapis déjeuners carrés were sold in 1758, without the components being mentioned and two were purchased by Lazare Duvaux as part of his purchase list for the first half of the year [Sèvres archieves f.64v.]. One cost 144 livres and the other, which Duvaux’s daybook informs us had bird decoration, cost 168 livres. The latter was sold on to Madame de Pompadour on 23 January [Duvaux no. 3038] which shows the type of collector purchasing such pieces and another tea service was sold for cash on 14 September [Sèvres archives, f.68v.] for 192 livres.

Rosalind Savill has pointed out that the Prince de Soubise also purchased a ‘small’ tea service, which may well be this one, decorated, bleu lapis ground and children painted in colours from Lazare-Duvaux in March 1758 for 300 livres. This was after his return to Paris from being in command of a large part of the French army fighting during the Seven Year’s War. In November 1757 he was defeated at Rossbach and also failed to hold Hanover. Despite this failure, he appears to have returned to Paris and continued to live and collect in great style. Soubise being the same age as Louis XV was brought-up as a companion to the King and is most-widely known for the sauce Soubise being named after him