Jane Hutcheson, prod. Gorham, 'Fleurs des Siècles' collection

Important centerpiece comprising 22 floral arrangements in gilt metal, silver, porcelain and polychrome enamel, displayed on a large rectangular gilt-metal tray with mirrored base, shaped corners and pierced gallery border. The principal group consists of examples from the celebrated Fleurs des Siècles collection by the Gorham Manufacturing Company, created by Jane Hutcheson; the ensemble is completed by several floral compositions of comparable taste produced by other contemporary manufacturers. Some examples bear the maker's mark or identifying labels. Minor defects and losses.

Created by the Gorham Manufacturing Company from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s and designed by the American artist Jane Hutcheson, the Fleurs des Siècles collection was inspired by the celebrated eighteenth-century porcelain floral arrangements, particularly those produced by the Vincennes manufactory, reinterpreting them as refined works of decorative art. Each composition is handcrafted with gilded metal flowers, leaves, fruits, and berries, delicately hand-enameled and assembled on flexible wire stems that lend the bouquets a remarkable sense of movement and naturalism. The arrangements are set in sterling silver or gilt-metal cachepots, reproductions of antique porcelain vases, elegant baskets, or Murano glass domes. Jane Hutcheson personally supervised the development of the collection at Gorham's Providence workshops, contributing to the refinement of its production techniques and continuously expanding the range of botanical forms, drawing inspiration in part from the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Promoted with the slogans "Blooming beautifully from here to eternity" and "The Gorham Fleurs you will pick will last forever," the collection achieved considerable international success and is today regarded as one of the finest expressions of late twentieth-century American decorative arts.