Medium: white porcelain

Artistic director at the Sèvres Manufacture from 1897, Alexandre Sandier gave fresh impetus to production by radically overhauling the repertoire of forms and decorations. New tints that were softer and more harmonious and simple shapes completely free of metal mounts were introduced, winning the support of a new clientele. One of Alexandre Sandier’s employees, Léon Kann, created numerous new forms between 1896 and 1905, directly inspired by nature and influenced by Art Nouveau.

The Fennel Service is a humorous play on the rounded shape of the bulb of the plant. It was produced in several versions, glazed with the natural matt greens and browns of the plant, or in white, without decoration. The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art has a set of several cups and a coffee pot in natural colours.