Manifattura Jacob Petit Artwork valuations, appraisals and auction estimates

Jacob Petit (1796-1868) was a 19th-century French porcelain maker, originally from Paris.
After starting as a self-taught man, he became a pupil of the painter Antoine-Jean Gros, a pupil of Jacques-Louis David. His passion for porcelain led him to join the Sèvres Manufactory in 1822. Read the full biography

Jacob Petit (1796-1868) was a 19th-century French porcelain maker, originally from Paris.
After starting as a self-taught man, he became a pupil of the painter Antoine-Jean Gros, a pupil of Jacques-Louis David. His passion for porcelain led him to join the Sèvres Manufactory in 1822. He undertook numerous trips to Europe to deepen his knowledge and improve his technique in the field of decorative arts. In 1830-1831 he published a collection of interior decorations that included everything related to furniture, from goldsmithing to carpentry. His porcelain factory in Fontainebleau employed 80 workers and he owned a workshop in Paris. His creations were characterized by inventive audacity and eclecticism, drawing on all decorative repertoires, from neo-Gothic to Baroque to exoticism aimed at Arab or Chinese cultures. Although initially criticized for his gaudy colors, Petit proved to be a notable colorist. He participated in numerous exhibitions and received various awards for his innovative spirit. He died in poverty on 5 December 1868 and was buried in a mass grave in the Père-Lachaise cemetery. His manufacturing company produced a wide range of decorative porcelain objects, including tableware, vases, perfume bottles, inkwells, paperweights, clocks and fireplaces.