Provenance: 
Dragesco-Cramoisan, Paris, February 1998 (as Mennecy)

Note:
The present pair of cut flower holders modeled as flower sellers were inspired by the hard-paste porcelain models by Johann Joachim Kändler of circa 1745 for the Meissen factory.

Conclusively identifying the factory responsible for unmarked French glazed soft-paste porcelain examples can be difficult. The present pair are certainly mid-18th century in date. The only question is whether they were made at Mennecy or at Saint-Cloud, as they exhibit traits of both manufactories.

The corn kernel-like molding of the basket between the male figure’s knees is not dissimilar to the molding of a potpourri box and cover modeled as a basket of flowers sold as Saint Cloud in the sale of French porcelain from the Collection of Elizabeth Parke Firestone, sold Christie’s in New York, 21 March 1991, lot 1. Acquired by MaryLou Boone at the auction, it is now in the collection of the Los Angeles County where it is attributed instead to the Sceaux porcelain factory of Jacques Chapelle. See Elizabeth A. Williams, ed., Daily Pleasures: French Ceramics from the MaryLou Boone Collection, Exhibition Catalogue, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2012, cat no. 111.

Cat. no. 107 in the same Boone catalogue are two French soft-paste white figures—one a cobbler, the other an itinerant worker. Attributed to Mennecy, they too share marked similarities with the present bouquetières, particularly the color of the paste, pooling of the glaze and modeling of the clothing and facial features.