Photo of the day

The blue is quite refreshing, no?

UPDATE!

This little blue lacquered lovely is one of a pair of two tole tulip jardinieres on display at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris.

Now these are unusual because of their jaunty blue ground. Typically tole items that is tarted up with Asian lacquer motifs opt for more somber earth tones overall. These examples date to the reign of Louis XV.

I would say that they are rather late Louis XV as they are starting to stiffen-up and embrace Neoclassicism (note the fluted pilaster corners).

Paris became quite the center for painted tole wares. The versatility of the medium allows it to quickly follow the shifts in fashion and these luxury goods stayed in demand from the 1740s well into the first half of the 19th century. However their utilitarian nature and the inherent conservation issues with metals make them a rather rare survival today.

You can see these lovelies, among other delicious objects within the Blue Salon from the hotel Brulart de Genlis reinstalled among the enfilade of period rooms at the Musée Carnavalet