Of circular form and resting on a shallow foot rim, this plate features a slightly recessed surface consistent with its intended use. Its center, known as the well, is surrounded by a gently curved slope that provides a harmonious transition to the border—the flat outer section framing the plate. In silverware, this area is referred to as the marli, whereas in porcelain manufacture the term border is commonly used to designate this section, which is often enriched with painted, moulded, or gilded decoration according to period and style.
Hard-paste porcelain.
The central well is decorated with an exceptional scene depicting a young woman draped in the antique manner, representing “Germinal,” the seventh month of the French Revolutionary Calendar. Dressed in a violet-toned gown, she is shown within an architectural setting opening onto a landscape, kneeling upon cushions and holding a light veil. The composition reflects the neoclassical taste inspired by Antiquity and the allegorical imagery of the early nineteenth century.
The border is entirely covered with a rich gilt ground, embellished with a succession of circular reserves linked by linear motifs and stylized knots reserved in white. The rim is adorned with an important roulette-gilded frieze forming a geometric kymation pattern in relief, characteristic of the luxurious engine-turned gilding employed by the Nast manufactory during the early nineteenth century.
Provenance:
Former collection of the Bethmann family, one of the most influential German banking dynasties of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, established in Frankfurt am Main. In 1748, the family founded the celebrated Gebrüder Bethmann Bank (“Bethmann Brothers”), which rapidly became one of Europe's leading financial institutions.
Marks : Painted in gold: “Nast à Paris par Brevet d’Inv.tion”.
Dimensions : Diameter: 24 cm.
Condition : PERFECT CONDITION.
Period : Empire Period.
Remarks : Minor wear consistent with age and use.
The use of roulette gilding lends these porcelains an exceptionally luxurious character, closer in appearance to fine goldsmith’s work or chased gilt bronze than to ordinary ceramics. Because the relief patterns are impressed directly into the gold before firing, the decorative surface acquires remarkable depth and luminous vitality.
Unlike brush-applied gilding, which generally remains smooth and uniform, roulette gilding creates a sophisticated interplay of textures and reflections. As light falls across the surface, each motif captures and reflects it differently, producing subtle variations between matte, brilliant, and satin-finished areas. This technique brings the porcelain to life and greatly enhances the richness of the decoration.
The resulting friezes often evoke the finely chased surfaces of gilt bronze, the embroidered borders of luxurious textiles, or the ornamental vocabulary of classical architecture.
This technical mastery formed an integral part of the sumptuous style developed by the Nast Manufactory during the Empire period. At that time, porcelain was no longer merely a utilitarian object but a true decorative statement, designed to impress through the richness of its ornamentation and the excellence of its craftsmanship. With its refined relief gilding, each piece acquires an almost architectural presence, animated by light playing across the depth of the motifs and the brilliance of the gold.
Crédit Agricole
ou LYDIA 