Sevres-style Porcelain Urns with Gilt and Rams Head Handles

A pair of Sevres style porcelain urns and covers, late 19th century, of tapering form, in cobalt blue ground with gilt highlights, painted with a central courting scenes to obverse and floral arrangement to reverse, flanked with rams head handles, and gilt metal mounts throughout, the domed lid mounted with a pineapple finial, bearing a within double L mark to interior of lid, 18.11 in. high

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Pineapple - The pineapple, named because of its resemblance to a pine cone, was an exotic and scarce fruit in the 18th century. It became a popular decorative motif on furniture, silver ceramics, glass and clocks during this time.
Finial - An architectural decoration, found on the upper parts of of an object. On furniture they are usually found on pediments, canopies and shelf supports. On smaller ceramic or silver items, such as spoons, they may decorate the top of the item itself, or the lid or cover where they provide a useful handle for removal.

Finials have a variety of shapes and forms. They may be urn-shaped, baluster shaped round or spiral, but usually taper into an upper point. Many real life shapes may also be used as finials, such as pineapples, berries, pinecones, buds, lotus and acorns. Sometimes animals such as a lion are depicted, or fish and dolphins.
Obverse - Obverse means the front face of a coin or medal, and the reverse means the back face. The obverse of a coin is commonly called heads, because it often depicts the head of a monarch or famous person.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Sevres (France) and Sevres style, items
- house wares 278
- vases and urns 227