Cup, c. 1720. Saint Cloud Porcelain Factory (French). Soft-paste porcelain; overall: 7.5 x 7.5 cm (2 15/16 x 2 15/16 in.). The first extensive manufactory of soft-paste porcelain in France was carried out at a factory at Saint-Cloud, near Paris. The earliest porcelains were produced there in 1693, and the factory remained a significant one throughout the first half of the 18th century. Bacause of technical difficulties, most of the wares produced at Saint-Cloud are rather small in size and heavily potted. Stylistic restraint was exercised in both the form and decoration of its wares. Underglaze blue was frequently employed at Saint-Cloud, and pieces of the type resemble closely those attributed to Rouen, leading to the speculation that the two factories were closely related.