Les porcelaines de Sèvres envoyées en guise de cadeaux diplomatiques à l'empereur de Chine par les souverains français dans la seconde moitié du XVIIIe siècle.

The idea of offering Sèvres porcelain as a diplomatic gift emerged in France in 1757. The Qianlong emperor benefited from this diplomatic blessing at the instigation of the minister of state, Henri Bertin, an ardent Sinophile. Through the examination of a few examples, this article examines the circumstances in which these gifts were offered and defines the diplomatic objectives behind them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]