Daily Pleasures: French Ceramics From The MaryLou Boone Collection

(Los Angeles–August 29, 2012)–Daily Pleasures: French Ceramics From the MaryLou Boone Collection features more than 130 pieces from the finest collection of French faience and soft-paste porcelain on the West Coast. The ideal fusion of the useful and the beautiful that is found in these French ceramics of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries is the essence of what inspired MaryLou Boone to assemble her outstanding collection from the foremost manufactories of the era. Although originally made to emulate Asian hard-paste porcelain imported into Europe, faience and soft-paste porcelain ultimately became distinctive and sought-after ceramics in their own right. The collection includes wares for dining and taking tea, for storing the many toiletries necessary for a stylish appearance, and for preparing mixtures that comforted in time of sickness. Emphasizing myriad aesthetic influences, chronicling advances in technology, and reflecting the rhythms of domestic life, these objects provide a unique view of French customs and culture and continue to bring pleasure to daily life.

“This exhibition reveals and celebrates both the artistry that exists in the service of the utilitarian and the ability of this discriminating collector to bring together remarkable examples of that artistry,” said Elizabeth Williams, assistant curator of decorative arts and design at LACMA.

Image credits:

Ewer, c. 1700, Rouen, France, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of MaryLou and George Boone in honor of the museum’s twenty-fifth anniversary, M.2010.51.1, photo © Susan Einstein

Covered Sugar Bowl, 1780, Lunéville, France, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, gift of MaryLou Boone, photo © Susan Einstein,
Sugar Spoon, 1775, Lunéville Petit Feu Faience Manufactory, Lunéville, France, gift of MaryLou Boone, photo © Susan Einstein

Narcissus Scene Cup and Saucer Set, 1746, Vincennes, France, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Gift of MaryLou Boone, photo © Susan Einstein Leda and the Swan scene Sugar Box (part of a déjeuner service), 1746, Vicennes, France, The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, gift of MaryLou Boone, photo © Susan Einstein

Exhibition: Daily Pleasures: French Ceramics From The MaryLou Boone Collection On View: October 6, 2012–March 31, 2013 Location: Ahmanson Building, Level 3