Style Napoleon III / Ref.15092

Julien Nicolas RIVART, Two Alabaster Panels Inlaid with a Tulip and an Iris in Porcelain, after 1849

Julien Nicolas Rivart (Paris, 1802-1867), noted in archives as a porcelain gilder, bronze manufacturer, and maker of bronzes and porcelains, is particularly renowned for his 1849 patent on a technique for inlaying soft-paste porcelain into various materials. He specifically mentioned “wood, [...] copper, marble, and all other stones” as possible substrates. Over time, additional certificates allowed him to employ all types of French and English porcelain, eventually extending to porcelains of all origins, along with modifications to his process. Rivart was the sole practitioner of this innovative technique, even after the patent expired. His work was displayed at various exhibitions, where it was awarded medals.

These two panels were created using Rivart’s groundbreaking porcelain marquetry technique. The process involved molding soft-paste porcelain, firing it at a high temperature, and then grinding it to achieve a smooth surface. The pieces were glazed, fired again, painted, and finally heated to set the colors. The porcelain elements were then embedded into a selected material – here, alabaster – using marquetry methods. The backgrounds of the works were leveled with a special paste.

These panels are of exceptional quality. Two finely painted porcelain flowers are inlaid into oval-shaped alabaster plaques, bordered with a bead frieze that transitions seamlessly into a rectangular wooden frame. The first flower is a tulip, rendered with outstanding naturalism, while the second is a branch of iris featuring four blooms at varying stages of development. The petals are depicted with extraordinary precision.

Rivart’s craftsmanship is particularly remarkable here. It is rare for him to use alabaster as a base for his porcelain compositions. Furthermore, the marquetry flowers are entirely crafted from porcelain, which is not

Julien-Nicolas Rivart (Paris, 1802-1867) is referred to in the archives as a porcelain gilder, a bronze manufacturer, or indeed a manufacturer of bronzes and porcelains.

He is renowned for the patent he filed in 1849 for a technique of inlaying soft-paste porcelain into various materials, including wood, copper, marble and other stones.

A number of certificates of addition subsequently allowed him to employ, for this marquetry work, the entire range of French and English porcelains, and thereafter porcelains « of all kinds ». Rivart remained the only maker to have implemented this technique, even after the patent lapsed. His work was presented at several exhibitions and rewarded with numerous medals.

Our two plaques were executed using this patented technique. The process consists in moulding a soft-paste porcelain, fired a first time at a very high temperature, then levelled on the grinding wheel. Once glazed, the piece is fired a second time, then painted and heated to fix the colours. In the case of our pair, the porcelain elements were set into an alabaster panel according to the classical procedures of marquetry. The background was then levelled using a paste.

Two painted porcelain flowers are inlaid into an oval alabaster plaque bordered by a frieze of pearls, forming a transition with the amboyna burl panel – a rare exotic wood highly prized in marquetry. The two flowers are rendered with great naturalism: the tulip displays delicately painted leaves, while the iris bears four blossoms at different stages of flowering.

It is worth noting, finally, that the extraordinary jewel cabinet of Empress Eugénie, executed by Rivart in 1855 and preserved at the Musée national du château de Compiègne, features porcelain marquetry with motifs closely related to those of our panels.