Litron cup in grisaille, Dihl et Guérard

Beautiful litron cup with a wonderful  grey tinted painted decorations ( “Grisaille” ). Detailed battle field scene on the cup. Grotesque decoration on both pieces. Gold higlights. Marked in red for the prestigious manufactory Dihl et Guérard in Paris.

Size: H 6cm – diameter saucer: 13,5 cm

Empire period, circa 1805.

Liter: In 1781, Christophe Dihl with Mr and Ms Antoine Guérhard create, under the patronage of the Duke of Angoulême (only 6 years old at that time), a hard paste porcelain factory in the street of Bondi in Paris. Dihl brought his creative genius of sculptor and a large quantity of molds, the Guérhard brought the funds. In 1785, there were already 12 sculptors, 30 painters and above all lots of orders. In 1787, a judgement emancipated the manufactory which, from memory, equalled the manufacture of Sèvres, so no one would want to see it disappear! Ms Guérhard even sent, out of diplomacy, a worker at Sèvres to modify the new oven! In 1789, the factory moved to rue du Temple. That year, Governor Morris, representing the United States in Paris, bought porcelain for George Washington. In 1793, the factory had 500 workers. Mr Guérhard dies. In 1797, Mrs. Guérhard and Mr. Dihl get married. Raw material of quality, state of the art oven; colours, shapes, sculptures (Lemire) and paintings (Le Guay) of perfect beauty, the manufacture is a reference. The mark ” Mre de Mgr/ le duc d’Angouleme/ à Paris  ” will be used until the French Revolution. Then the names of Dihl and / or Guérhard will be used. The Imperial era will mark the peak of success. However, the manufacture will go from the triumph of the 1806 exhibition to a decline in activity from 1810. The Empress Josephine will order in 1811-1813 a prestigious service. The company dissolves in 1828 and Dihl dies in 1830.