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Financial difficulties twice forced the French monarchy - in 1689 and again in 1709 - to melt down the crown's gold and silver plate. Few pieces of precious metalwork survived this disaster, but substitutes in fine porcelain were created. The ceramics craft was in full expansion, adapting its decorative forms to high-quality designs incorporating scalloped borders and scrollworks. The Rouen factory worked on large objects full of references to Versailles. Workshops in the south - Moustiers, Saint-Jean-du-Désert - elaborated dishes and tableware for ceremonial and everyday use, in blue and white, featuring original variations on decorative motifs.
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