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A superb and rare 18th-century French Paris porcelain bottle cooler (seau à glace) from the Louis XVI period, retaining its original fitted lid and original Sotheby’s sale tag.
This exceptional cooler is richly decorated with hand-painted birds and insects, including butterflies and moths, each rendered individually with naturalistic precision. The decoration is complemented by delicate floral bouquets and crisp molded relief floral panels, all executed on a dense, luminous hard-paste porcelain body with refined gilded accents. The painted decoration continues en suite on the original lid, a rare and highly desirable survival.
The scale and proportions are ideal for period wine service, and the overall quality places this piece firmly within the upper tier of surviving 18th-century Paris porcelain bottle coolers.
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Details
• Origin: Paris, France
• Date: c. 1775–1795 (Louis XVI period)
• Material: Hard-paste Paris porcelain
• Form: Bottle cooler / ice pail (seau à glace) with original lid
• Decoration: Hand-painted birds and insects; floral bouquets; molded relief floral panels; gilt accents
• Dimensions: 9.5” H x 9.5” diameter
• Provenance: Sotheby’s (original sale tag present)
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Condition
Phenomenal, museum-level condition.
No cracks, chips, repairs, or restorations observed. Decoration remains vibrant and exceptionally fresh. Molded relief panels are crisp and unworn. Gilding is largely intact with only minimal, age-appropriate softening at the rims. The original fitted lid survives, a rarity for this form and period.
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Why This Piece Matters
• Authentic 18th-century Paris porcelain
• Hand-painted birds and insects (no transfers)
• Original lid (rare survival)
• Sotheby’s provenance
• Exceptional condition and elegant scale
