Manufacture nationale de Sèvres

On the southwestern edge of the capital beside the Seine, this national porcelain manufactory has produced fine ceramics for the French state since the 18th century, when it enjoyed the patronage of Madame de Pompadour and Louis XV. Craftspeople still shape, glaze and hand-paint porcelain using historic techniques, and an adjoining museum of ceramics displays wares from many countries and eras. Guided visits reveal the workshops where the celebrated Sèvres blue was developed. The institution remains a benchmark of French decorative excellence.