Vase (vase chinois) (one of a pair) 1791 Sèvres Manufactory French The final expression of the fashion for chinoiserie decoration at Sèvres in the eighteenth century occurred in the years between 1790 and 1793 when a remarkable group of objects was produced in imitation of Japanese and Chinese black lacquer. The majority of the works decorated in this style were tablewares, or tea wares, but a small number of vases were produced as well.1 The shared characteristics of these porcelains are scenes painted in gold and platinum on a black ground. The gold was usually applied in several subtly different tones, which made the compositions more legible and even more luxurious in appearance. These pieces of so-called black lacquer porcelain are among the most lavishly decorated objects produced at the factory, and there is a certain irony that they were made during the years when France was in political and economic turmoil due to the French Revolution (1789-99). The factory’s client base, d