Covered Tureen on Stand (Pot-à-oille couvert), 1735-38. Designed by one of Louis XV?s official architects, this tureen exemplifies the French rococo style, an artistic movement celebrating naturalistic forms that developed in Paris during the early 1700s. In contrast to classical, controlled symmetry, rococo forms morph, twist, and spill into the space around them. Meissonnier embellished this tureen in a picturesque arrangement of vegetables and creatures, transforming a utilitarian object into a decadent display of wealth and abundance. This masterpiece comes from a set of two tureens commissioned by the English Duke of Kingston during an extended stay in Paris in the 1730s. Today the second tureen is in a private collection. Creator Paul Storr (British, 1771-1844). (Photo by Heritage Arts/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
