Tours of Special Collections

Sèvres: A History of Elegant Dining

1.5-hour tour, beginning at either 10am or 2pm.
To inquire about availability for this tour, please email us.

Gourmet meals are immediately associated with refined French style, thanks to elaborate rituals of dining, and to the precious objets d’art that have graced the French table for centuries. This tour explores those arts of the table at the Musée de Sèvres, France’s national museum of ceramics.

You will see some of the very first porcelain ever produced in Europe, as well as exquisite examples from the nearby workshop of Sèvres. Some royal highlights in this vast collection include pieces from Louis XV’s first table service, plates commissioned by Catherine II, and a curious bol sein from Marie-Antoinette’s tea service, which legend says was modelled after the queen’s own breast.

Royalty were not the only ones fascinated by the elegance of this “white gold” called porcelain. The success of Sèvres in particular has created a huge market for imitations. On this tour you’ll also learn some of the practical clues for distinguishing the real thing from the not so real.

Rates. 1.5-hour tour: €70 for individuals, or €60 per person for parties of two or more. Includes price of admission.

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