Brown-Westhead Moore & Cie, « Fables of la Fontaine » service, England, c. 1890

Lovely damascened metal smoking kit composed of a tray with branch-shaped handles and four removable containers. It’s adorned with flowers, red and gilt or...

Important porcelain planter and decorative dish attributed to Samson & Cie. They are decorated with golden and red friezes of intertwined lotus, fruits and flower cups, fans and two...

Pair of 18th century soft-paste porcelain dishes finely decorated in the 19th century with medallions representing Japanese theatre characters dressed in traditional costumes, beautiful gold-embossed ornament on a polychrome background. These dishes are to be linked with the production of the Sèvres Manufacture. The Manufacture de Sèvres, factory of soft-paste porcelain, was founded in 1738 at Vincennes by bankers and financiers hoping to discover the secret of making hard-paste porcelain, used in Meissen at the time. In 1753, King of France Louis XV became the main shareholder of the factory, transferring it to Sèvres, closer to Versailles and the castle of Bellevue, owned by la Marquise de Pompadour, very interested by Sèvres’ research and supportive of the works. In 1759, the King became the sole shareholder of the Manufacture, making it the property of the French Crown. From this day on, the Sèvres artworks were marked with the royal seal, two intertwined “L’s”, as well as a letter indicating the year of creation. The period between 1756 and 1779 represents the most prosperous years for the factory. To support Sèvres, Louis XV made sumptuous orders offered as diplomatic presents. The main artists at the time, such as painters Boucher and Bachelier or sculptors Falconet and Boizot, worked for the factory. Research on the making of hard-paste porcelain kept going and succeeded after 1769. From this year, Sèvres successfully produced both soft-paste and hard-paste porcelain. It is also during this period that the most beautiful and singular colors were invented: bleu lapis in 1752, bleu celeste in 1753, green in 1756, famous pink in 1757 and royal blue in 1763. The most significant pieces are ornamented with scenes inspired by engravings from famous painters (Boucher) and ornamentalists. They are also decorated with garlands, bunches of flowers, trophies, gildings… The fine quality of Sèvres’ production covers a large range of statuettes (Falconet’s threatening Love), full services (Rambouillet’s service is presented to Marie-Antoinette in 1788), as well as utilitarian or ornamental items. The role played by haberdashers in the production’s development is essential. They originated trends around Sèvres-designed products, such as Daguerre who decorated his most precious furniture with porcelain...

Rich landscape in cloisonné enamel on blue and brown background imitating Aventurine stone, attributed to L.C. Sevin and F. Barbedienne. The decor represents a river surrounded by wi...

English Scenic porcelain Dessert service, mid-19th century, polychrome hand-painted with three various romantic landscape scenes in a round cartouches on a pink border, decorated wit...

Mid 19th Century British porcelain dinnerware service with hand painted gilt foliate borders with bouquets of wild flowers against a whit...

Each piece finely painted in tones of black, brown and gilt with classical figural decoration, the handles and borders with gilt painting. Comprising: 1 reticulated stand, 1 reticulated basket, 3 covered sauce tureens (two finials professionally replaced), pair of covered sauce tureens and stands, 4 oval...

Paris porcelain set: tea or coffee service, composed of several decorated pieces: - A coffee or tea pot with gilded lid and carved spout. - A milk jug with open spout and elegant han...