1862
Coffeepot in the Form of an Elephant's Head
Symbolizing the luxury and exoticism of Asia, the elephant had inspired a number of designs at Sèvres, the French national porcelain factory, from the mid-1700s. The elephant shape and decoration of this coffeepot also demonstrate the humor and technical achievements of its creator, Marc-Louis-Emmanuel Solon. This model was first displayed by Sèvres at the London International Exhibition of 1862. The decoration features an early example of the pâte-sur-pâte (paste on paste) technique, used here by Solon to embellish the head of the elephant and the lid of the coffeepot with thinly layered palmette patterns in white slip.
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