Sofia - Porcelain

Very thin and elegant French set of five hand painted porcelain jars signed by Limoge, France, circa 1920.

Herend Queen Victoria hand printed line is made up of almost a hundred kinds of stylized butterflies and springs of blossom, painted in cheerful and lively colors. The strong element...

Royal and diplomatic gifts. Just as at Meissen, Sèvres was a popular factory for the commission and production of royal and diplomatic gifts, as well as for direct purchases by royal families and the aristocracy. Marie Antoinette was an early supporter, ordering vase garnitures, teawares and dinner-services. In 1784 the queen ordered a sumptuous service decorated with roses, faux pearls and pansies in medallions, on a carmine ground. It was intended for use at Versailles, but upon its completion it was given instead by Louis XVI to Gustav III as a diplomatic gift commemorating the Swedish king’s visit. Unused to self-sacrifice, the French queen did not wait long for her own replacement service in the same pattern. Similarly, in 1782 Louis-Philippe de Bourbon, duc de Chartes, ordered an elaborate bleu celeste service for the common law wife of his friend, Nathaniel Parker Forth, British Special Envoy to France. Each piece is finely painted birds to the center and to the rim based on images found in The Natural History of Birds by the Comte de Buffon (see below). The service eventually came into the collection of Alfred de Rothschild at Halton House, Buckinghamshire, before being acquired by Desmarais family in late 1990s. In the 18th century, porcelain was one of the most highly prized commodities in the world. Only the very wealthy could afford objects made of this fragile material, which was shipped at great expense from the Far East. Porcelain was developed in China around 2,000 years ago but the recipe was a closely guarded secret. It was not until the early 18th century that Johann Friedrich Böttger discovered the magic formula for making true hard-paste porcelain, and in 1710 the Meissen factory was established. Magnificent Very fine antique Museum quality extremely rare enamel cobalt-blue 18-karat gold hand painted porcelain basket...

Arte Di Gio Ponti Donatella, Majolica plate cm 49 in 6 1/4 Le Mie Donne is the first family of decorations designed by Giò Ponti. Ponti made important alterations to the Le Mie Donne series over the years, having the designs applied to piattelle (wall plates) and large and small jar-shaped and oval vases. With the aim of proposing a style that would suit Parisian tastes, on the occasion of the Exposition Nationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925, Ponti tried to blend the revival of classicism with Art Deco. The Le Mie Donne series consists of three compositions: Women on clouds, Women among ropes and Women on flowers. The women on clouds were the first of these to be designed and presented in the form of samples at the exhibition in Monza in 1923. The designs for this series are composed of sketches of buildings...

Herend Queen Victoria hand printed line is made up of almost a hundred kinds of stylised butterflies and springs of blossom, painted in cheerful and lively colours. The strong elemen...

Antique Wedgwood Jasperware bowl in black basalt in perfect condition. There are three different scenes and characters around the bowl. England, circa...

Richard Ginori mid-18th century porcelain coffee set landscapes drawings, Italy. Very elegant Richard Ginori porcelain set was hand painted with country sides landscapes in fuchsia....

A very elegant 68 pieces French Limoges table service for 12 people, completed with its coffee/tea service for six people in very good condition w...

Lovely rare 50 cm height Royal Dux dancing couple figure Limited Edition Duxer Porzellanmanufaktur, or Dux Porcelain Manufactory, was started in...

Large lidded vase Meissen with figures Magnificent vase figure vase strawberry. Measures: H 42 cm. Condition: see pictures.  

Hutschenreuther large kneeling mid-20th century, designed by Karl Tutter, signed, Hutschenreuther Germany art department, biscuit porcelain. Measure: H 55 cm.

19th century decorative box by Limoge Porcelain, France, circa 1890.