A Sèvres Porcelain Teapot and Cover (Théière 'Calabre'), circa 1766

Anonymous sale, Bonhams, London, 9 December, 2021, lot 259;

Where acquired by the present collector.

Ikat fabrics were known as chiné à la branche (and later more broadly as chiné silks). They represented one of the most luxurious and technically sophisticated textiles worn by the aristocracy at Versailles. The technique originated from Asian resist-dyed textiles but was adapted by French silk weavers, particularly in Lyon, the centre of the French silk industry. Before weaving, sections of the silk warp threads were dyed according to a pre-determined pattern. When woven, the design appeared with the characteristic soft, blurred edges that distinguish ikat fabrics.

Contemporary with the production of the present teapot, the same fabric type appears in the gown worn by Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria, the future Queen Marie-Antoinette of France, in Joseph Ducreux's 1769 pastel portrait, now at Versailles, obj. no. INV.DESS 1207.