Provenance

Purchased by George IV from Pierre-Philippe Thomire (maître-fondeur, 1772–1843). The vase was entered by Benjamin Jutsham in the Carlton House receipts’ ledger on 24 June 1812: ‘[Received from] Mr Thomire A Blue Seve porcelaine Vase, mounted on an Or Molu Pedestal ornamented with wreaths, the China Vase is ornamented with Centaurs in Or Molou 2 Feet 6 Inches high Large Blue Velvet Room’.

In the engraving by Daniel Havell after Charles Wild, which was published on 1 October 1816, the vase is shown in a window embrasure on a tripod stand by Thomas Tatham dating from c.1811. By 1818 the vase had been removed to the Blue Velvet Closet, where it was illustrated by Wild in an engraving by R. Reeve dated 1 August 1818 and subsequently described in the inventory drawn up in 1826: ‘No.42. A magnificent blue Seve Porcelain Vase, with pierced ormolu top, egg and tongue border, handles of Female Figures, standing on scrolled Satyr masks, embossed Centaurs, vines fruited and honeysuckles on the body of the Vase, and wreathed moulding, all of ormolu, on a square ormolu plinth with chased leaf and cable borders, and wreaths on two pannels – 2. f. 7 – high’.

Pierre-Philippe Thomire was the outstanding Parisian bronzeur and gilder of the early nineteenth century. He supplied finely chased mounts to leading Parisien ébénistes for furniture, clocks and the Sèvres porcelain factory. He was much patronised by Napoleon who made him Ciseleur de l'Empereur. His work represents some of the finest examples of Empire style.

In 1804 he acquired business of the marchand-mercier, Martin-Eloi Lignereux. The company employed a large workforce in a workshop at rue Boucherat and a showroom at rue Taitbout, from where Thomire retailed a large range of decorative objects inspired by antiquity including candelabra, extravagant centrepieces, clock cases and monumental Greek and Roman style urns and vases.

Thomire collaborated with three partners, renaming the business for a time Thomire, Duterme et Cie. The business suffered as a result of France's continuing European hostilities and to avoid bankruptcy the firm was granted dispensation to trade with the Prince Regent . Soon after 1815 the partnership with Duterme was dissolved and, under the old style, Thomire et Cie thrived once more under the restored Bourbons.

Thomire retired in 1823 and his two sons-in-law, Louis-Auguste-Cesar Carbonelle and André-Antoine Beauvisage, continued the business until 1852. Thomire continued to work as a sculptor and exhibited regularly at the Salon until 1834.