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Source Description
“Litron” cups, like this one, would typically be used to consume hot beverages such as tea, coffee, and drinking chocolate. The word “litron” refers to a wooden cup (9.4 cm high and 10.3 cm in diameter) used in the 17th century as the standard measure of grain, flour, salt, and peas. While this particular gobelet ‘litron’ does not conform to these proportions, its cylindrical shape recalls the old wooden vessel. Ornamented with a deep-rose ground color, the cup and saucer set are embellished with gilt work. The cup features a large reserve, or area reserved for imagery, with a portrait of a woman that is possibly Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, the eldest child of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI and their only offspring to survive the Revolution. The woman wears a muslin ruff and gown, both popular fashions in the early 19th century. A thick band of gilding encircles the portrait and garlands of white lilies, a symbol of the Bourbon monarchy, surround the portrait’s golden frame. Perhaps the lilies are a reference to the sitter’s support of the Bourbon Restoration of King Louis XVIII, who ruled from 1814-1824.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
30433
label
Cup and Saucer (gobelet ‘litron’ et soucoupe)
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
3
Source metadata
id
30433
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Cup and Saucer (gobelet ‘litron’ et soucoupe)
description
“Litron” cups, like this one, would typically be used to consume hot beverages such as tea, coffee, and drinking chocolate. The word “litron” refers to a wooden cup (9.4 cm high and 10.3 cm in diameter) used in the 17th century as the standard measure of grain, flour, salt, and peas. While this particular gobelet ‘litron’ does not conform to these proportions, its cylindrical shape recalls the old wooden vessel. Ornamented with a deep-rose ground color, the cup and saucer set are embellished with gilt work. The cup features a large reserve, or area reserved for imagery, with a portrait of a woman that is possibly Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France, the eldest child of Marie-Antoinette and Louis XVI and their only offspring to survive the Revolution. The woman wears a muslin ruff and gown, both popular fashions in the early 19th century. A thick band of gilding encircles the portrait and garlands of white lilies, a symbol of the Bourbon monarchy, surround the portrait’s golden frame. Perhaps the lilies are a reference to the sitter’s support of the Bourbon Restoration of King Louis XVIII, who ruled from 1814-1824.
date
1824-1830
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
cups (drinking vessels)
saucers
imageCount
3
pageCount
3
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
8.4
height
17
dimensionsRaw
Overall Cup & Saucer (A & B) H: 3 5/16 × Diam: 6 11/16 in. (8.4 × 17 cm); Cup (A) H: 3 1/8 × W with handle: 4 3/8 × D: 3 3/16 in. (8 × 11.1 × 8.1 cm); Saucer (B) H: 1 5/16 × Diam: 6 11/16 in. (3.4 × 17 cm).
Source extras
inscriptions
[Factory Mark] Black intertwined Lls with a fleur-de-lis and “Sèvres” written inside on bottom of cup; [Sticker] Torn with red boarders and “175” written in pencil affixed to bottom of cup; [Unidentified Mark] Brown “rcc” or “scc” on bottom of cup; [Potter Mark] Incised “J” and other illegible initials on bottom of cup; [Factory Mark] Blue intertwined Lls with fleur-de-lis and “Sèvres” inside on bottom of saucer.
med
porcelain
creator_ids
6229
1916
collection_ids
none
exhibition_ids
none
Page inventory
seq
1
type
photo
mediaId
f9f785bfd2d3b7be
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
2
type
photo
mediaId
53c736e94c00a638
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no
seq
3
type
photo
mediaId
3cffd2bcd6741e80
hasOcr
no
hasDescription
no