The Saint-Cloud porcelain manufacture in France holds a unique position in the history of European porcelain: it was the first in Europe to discover the secret of producing soft-paste porcelain, thereby breaking the monopoly of China and Japan and playing a seminal role in the development of porcelain production in Europe. This beautiful book, which documents the manufacture’s production and traces its technical and stylistic evolution, celebrates one of France’s enduring contributions to the decorative arts and culture of Europe.

The book features ten essays by leading scholars of French porcelain that examine not only the history of the Saint-Cloud manufacture but also its influence, aesthetics, patronage, and reception. The essays are supplemented by reproductions of some 250 examples of Saint-Cloud porcelain from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, and other museums around the world, along with documentation for each one. The book also includes examples of contemporary works of faience from Delft, porcelain imported from China, and related paintings and works on paper that provide a broader context in which to consider the works produced at Saint-Cloud.

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Bertrand Rondot is Curator, 17th and 18th centuries, at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris.