ROUND COMPOTIER WITH DOLPHINS FROM THE MARLY ROUGE SERVICE DELIVERED TO THE CHATEAU OF FONTAINEBLEAU FOR THE EMPEROR, IN SÈVRES PORCELAIN, EMPIRE PERIOD Dated 1809 In the form of a bowl resting on a pedestal and supported by four dolphins in biscuit with a gold background, the marli with a red background decorated in gold with a frieze of foliage, the outside with a pale blue background, a wide gold fillet around the edge of the base. Marked in red in the vignette: M. de Sèvres 1809 H. 8 cm (3 ¼ in.) D. 24 cm (9 ¾ in.) Round compote dish with dolphins in Sèvres porcelain, from the Red Marly Service of Napoleon I at Fontainebleau This compote dish with dolphins comes from the dessert service decorated with Marly rouge, or red background, butterflies and flowers, made for Emperor Napoleon I. This dessert service was originally intended for the Palais de Compiègne, but was delivered to the Palais de Fontainebleau on 7, 8 and 18 October 1809. The service originally comprised eight dauphin-stemmed compotiers. Today, the Château de Fontainebleau holds a compotier with dolphins and six plates from the red marly service. Twelve plates, an elephant-head icebox, two eagle sugar bowls, a hemispherical bowl and six compote dishes were part of the David Rockefeller collection (Christie's, New York, 9 May 2018, lot 118). Twelve other plates have more recently gone on sale (Bonhams, London, 6 July 2021, lot 201). For a study of the service see Napoléon 1er & La Manufacture de Sèvres, L'Art de la Porcelaine au service de L'Empire, collective work edited by Camille Leprince, Paris, 2016, pp. 73-3 and 278, no. 142 and Archives Sèvres, Vu 1, f°83v. and VBB2, f°97.