Prestige despite Disfavour : the Prince de Condé & Chantilly porcelain

Dr Mathieu Deldicque, Curator, Musée Condé, Château de Chantilly

A grandson of Louis XIV through his mother, great-grandson of the Grand Condé through his father, Louis-Henri Prince of Condé, generally known the Duke of Bourbon, was one of the great patrons of the first half of the 18th century in France. He had a prominent political career that culminated with the position of prime minister under Louis XV. He fell into disgrace in 1726 and went into exile at his property at Chantilly. There, he took refuge in modernizing his chateau and creating a porcelain manufactory that could be admired among Europe. He was a formidable collector of decorative arts and very fond of Asian porcelains. Around 1730, he added the services of a potter from Saint-Cloud, Cicaire Cirou, to create a soft-paste porcelain manufactory at Chantilly: inspired by Japanese ceramics, it became one of the most important porcelain manufactory in France, until the creation of the Sèvres’ one.

This lecture will aim to study the context of development of Chantilly porcelain and the international competition it produced. Because behind this charming production hides politics and the race for prestige.