This Sèvres bottle-cooler (seau à liqueur rond) is from the service acquired by Jeanne (Bécu) Gomard de Vaubernier, Comtesse Du Barry, who was Louis XV's last mistress, until his death on 10 May 1774. The service was ordered in 1770 and noted in the sales registers on 29 August 1771, where the decoration was described as ‘petits vases et guirlandes’. Louis XV had given Madame du Barry the château de Louveciennes in 1769 and this service was probably intended for use there. The service comprised 322 pieces, including four seaux à liqueur ronds costing of 120 livres each. A project drawing for the design of the decoration survives, annotated 'Projet d’un service pour être execute à Sève pour Mde du Barry, 1770' and 'à Madame, le Comtesse du Barry en son hotel à Paris'.¹ It was the first Sèvres service to include a monogram and neoclassical motifs. The service was still in the possession of Madame du Barry at the time of her execution during the revolution on 8 December 1794. For a full discussion of this service and later Paris porcelain additions, see David Peters, Sèvres Plates and Services of the 18th Century, Little Berkhamsted, 2015, Vol. II, pp. 471-474, service list 71-7. A substantial part of the service were dispersed at auction at Christie's, London, 13-18 June 1887, the property of the late Earl of Lonsdale, lots 356 and 531-563, and included bottle-coolers of various (undesignated) forms. Another significant part of the service was sold at Christie's, London on 30 October 1947, lot 52, including two bottle-coolers stated to be 5³⁄₄ in. wide, so probably seaux à liqueur ronds.

1. This is in the Bibliothèque de l’Institute, Paris, and it is attributed to Augustin de Saint-Aubin, an illustrator and engraver.