Les Services Aux Oiseaux Buffon Du Comte Moïse De Camondo Une Encyclopédie Sur Porcelaine

Exhibition at the Musée Nissim de Camondo, Paris, 13 October 2016 - 15 January 2017

The Musée Nissim de Camondo houses an exceptional collection of Sèvres services with ornithological decoration, inspired by François-Nicolas Martinet's watercolour plates for the luxury edition of Buffon's Histoire naturelle des oiseaux, published from 1771 to 1786. These Buffon services include some three hundred and fifty pieces acquired by Moïse de Camondo from 1898 onwards. They are masterpieces of the museum and bear witness to both his taste for one of the most brilliant productions of the Sèvres manufactory and his interest in ornithology, which was in its infancy during the reign of Louis XVI.

Richly illustrated and enriched with a chronological and typological presentation, this exhibition catalogue presents the most beautiful pieces of the services known as Lefebvre (1784), Kendal (1785), Eden (1787) and Madame Lefebvre (1792). The shapes are shown in all their variety (compotiers, ice buckets, mortars, punch bowls, ice cream cups, etc.) and the best bird painters are honoured here.

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