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Director’s Choice – The Rise of the Refined Sauce
A Pair of George II Sauce Boats
London, 1733
Maker’s mark of Charles Kandler
Available at Koopman Rare Art
Towards the end of the 17th and throughout the 18th century, French cuisine moved away from the heavily spiced medieval sauces of vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, and other strong seasonings. Instead, cooks emphasized stocks, butter, cream, herbs, and carefully balanced flavours. This movement was associated with the emerging French nouvelle cuisine of the period and the growing interest in culinary refinement.
Sauces became an important component of elite dining. Rather than merely disguising food, they were intended to complement it. Early versions of sauces such as béchamel, velouté, and brown stock-based sauces gained prominence and became markers of sophisticated cooking.
With their increased status, sauces created a new demand for specialised serving pieces. The silver sauce boat or gravy boat became fashionable at aristocratic tables. French boats appeared by the late 17th century and quickly spread across Europe. They featured elegant handles, pouring lips, and often two spouts or elaborate Rococo decoration.
London, 1733
Maker’s mark of Charles Kandler
Available at Koopman Rare Art
Towards the end of the 17th and throughout the 18th century, French cuisine moved away from the heavily spiced medieval sauces of vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, and other strong seasonings. Instead, cooks emphasized stocks, butter, cream, herbs, and carefully balanced flavours. This movement was associated with the emerging French nouvelle cuisine of the period and the growing interest in culinary refinement.
Sauces became an important component of elite dining. Rather than merely disguising food, they were intended to complement it. Early versions of sauces such as béchamel, velouté, and brown stock-based sauces gained prominence and became markers of sophisticated cooking.
With their increased status, sauces created a new demand for specialised serving pieces. The silver sauce boat or gravy boat became fashionable at aristocratic tables. French boats appeared by the late 17th century and quickly spread across Europe. They featured elegant handles, pouring lips, and often two spouts or elaborate Rococo decoration.
