Sèvres

Fine porcelain produced at a factory in Sèvres, France (now a Paris suburb), since the early 18th century. It is characterized by the use of intensely coloured backgrounds (such as pink and royal blue), against which flowers are painted in elaborately embellished frames, often in gold.

It became popular after the firm's patronage by Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour. The state porcelain factory was established in the park of St-Cloud 1756, and it is also the site of a national museum of ceramics.