https://emuseum.gardinermuseum.com/internal/media/dispatcher/24317/fullBox with Gaming Countersca. 1800Paper, mixed media, porcelainGift of Stephen BrownOrigin: Paris, FranceG19.10.5a-f1The gaming pieces have images of Kings and depict the four suits of card. They were possibly associated with the complex card game of Quadrille, which was extremely popular in France and Britain. The game was simplified and eventually transformed into the game of whist.
These pieces fall into the broad category of the little trinkets, toys, and small objects that were made of porcelain; these include cane handles, scent bottles, elements for games, or little boxes for snuff or candy. As such, they express the range of functional items that would have been used in the private sphere and in a sociable context. They also illustrate the variety of objects made by Paris makers after Sèvres lost its monopoly.18th Century European PorcelainFrench PorcelainOther French Porcelain[]European CeramicsFrench Porcelain1846297925French“simple,” “double,” “triple,” “quadruple”