ANTIQUE FRENCH PORCELAIN ANTIQUE FRENCH PORCELAIN ADRIAN SASSOON London, 2021 A SELECTION OF 18TH CENTURY FRENCH PORCELAIN Most years in late spring I focus my mind on selecting French art, including the famous record-breaking ‘Sunflowers’ by van 18th century porcelains for display at the Masterpiece Fair in Gogh sold by his heirs in 1987. From Chester Beatty’s Sèvres London. I aim to form groups of rare and charming pieces, some collection I also have a vase à médaillon de Mercure of the late of which may never have been seen before by our generation of 1760s. Whilst five other examples of this shape are known, collectors and curators. I also like to present groups of objects including two in the British Royal Collection, this one from that tell stories between one another. This brochure illustrates a Chester Beatty’s collection has the most early Neo-Classical small number of these pieces during this year when art fairs have ornament of them all. not been possible. Amongst the other pieces illustrated are sculptural The cover shows a magical hard-paste Sèvres porcelain tray, representations of Louis XV and Louis XVI, the owners of the published here for the first time. I initially saw it in the hallway of Vincennes-Sèvres manufactory. There is a piece used by an English castle about twenty-five years ago and because of its Louis XV at Versailles and pieces from services given by him to unforgettable, rare and whimsical decoration of a music-making other monarchs of Europe. The rare ice cup delivered to band of exotic monkeys it has been on my mind ever since. This Catherine the Great of Russia in 1779 is from her specially tray was given to the late owners as a wedding present in 1947 designed dinner service with cameo decoration, which is of great by the great collector Hannah Gubbay, much of whose porcelain fame in this field. collection was lost in the tragic fire at Clandon Park in 2015. You will find several pieces from the collection of the late Several pieces included here have come from an 18th century Johannes Lafrenz from Munich, a stalwart member of stately home in another part of England, collected in the 1950s. The French Porcelain Society. More pieces from his collection of Most of the truly-rare group of soft-paste ‘jewelled’ Sèvres ground colour Sèvres porcelains, and others with classic porcelain is from this particular collection. I was lucky to have decoration, can be found in this brochure as well as on my helped purchase and document the outstanding ‘jewelled’ website, alongside recent acquisitions from many other sources Sèvres porcelain in the J. Paul Getty Museum as an Assistant in USA and Europe. Curator there in the early 1980s, and these pieces are certainly of the same quality. One of this group came from the remarkable collection of Sir Alfred Chester Beatty, perhaps most famous for Adrian Sassoon his library in Dublin. He owned many other exceptional works of June 2021 SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE BISCUIT PORCELAIN VINCENNES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A BUST OF KING LOUIS XV AFTER A STAND FROM THE LOUIS XV SERVICE, 1755 JEAN-BAPTISTE LEMOYNE, 1760–61 Soucoupe à pied, or assiette à confitures Height 36cm Diameter 22.8cm The largest, finest and rarest bust This is from the first great Vincennes porcelain of Louis XV produced at Sèvres. dinner and dessert service with a ground colour The first two examples were given delivered to Louis XV at Versailles in 1753, 1754 by the manufactory to Louis XV and & 1755. Twenty-one of this shape were delivered Madame de Pompadour. in 1755 described as jam plates; eight are in the collection of the Duke of Buccleuch, Boughton House. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A PAIR OF WINE-BOTTLE COOLERS FROM THE SERVICE GIVEN BY LOUIS XV TO KING FREDERIK V OF DENMARK IN 1757 Seaux à bouteilles Height 18.8cm These are large examples from the first green-ground Sèvres dinner service; a lavish royal gift. Much of it was bought in 1772 by Catherine the Great’s lover, Count Grigory Orlov, and is now in the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg. SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A PAIR OF STANDS FROM THE SERVICE GIVEN BY LOUIS XV TO EMPRESS MARIA THERESA OF AUSTRIA, 1758 Soucoupes à pied Diameter 22.8cm From a huge Sèvres dinner service given to the Empress to celebrate the Diplomatic Revolution of 1756 and in anticipation of the wedding of the future Emperor Joseph II to Louis XV’s grand-daughter, Marie-Louise of Parma in 1760. The service can be seen in use at the banquet for this wedding in a monumental painting by Martin van Mytens, still today at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A PIERCED BOWL, COVER AND FIXED STAND FOR CHESTNUTS, 1759 Marronnière ovale tenant au plateau Width of stand 25.5cm Chestnut bowls have pierced bodies and covers to allow fresh air to circulate around the sugared fruit. Three of this model were sold in 1759, of which one was purchased by Louis XV. SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A MILK JUG, circa 1765 Pot à lait à trois pieds, second size Height 9.8cm This striking pattern of turquoise-blue scallop design was used on a tea service bought by Louis XV in about 1765, of which a cup and saucer is in the Wallace Collection, London. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A VERY RARE GOUT GREC VASE AND COVER, circa 1765–70 Vase à médaillon de Mercure Height 33.5cm Five other examples of this shape are known, two in the British Royal Collection, but this has the most elaborate sculptural embellishments. FROM THE COLLECTION OF SIR ALFRED CHESTER BEATTY SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN FOURTEEN PLATES FROM THE MARQUIS DE DURFORT SERVICE, 1766 Assiettes unies Diameter 25cm The Marquis de Durfort-Civrac bought this service in 1766 when he left for Vienna as French ambassador. He negotiated the marriage of the Archduchess Marie- Antoinette to the future Louis XVI whom, upon his accession, made him a duke in gratitude. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES HARD-PASTE PORCELAIN A BROTH BOWL, COVER AND STAND, 1773 Écuelle nouvelle forme et plateau rond Width of stand 25.5cm Decorated by Fallot, who in 1773 started to work on gilding as well as painted decoration. FROM A FRENCH NOBLE COLLECTION, PROBABLY SINCE THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY SÈVRES HARD-PASTE PORCELAIN A TRAY FOR A TEA SERVICE, 1776 Plateau fil et rubanor plateau à baguettes Width 40.2cm With outstanding chinoiserie and singerie decoration by Asselin and Prévost. GIVEN BY THE COLLECTOR HANNAH GUBBAY TO A NOBLE COUPLE ON THEIR WEDDING IN 1947 SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN AN ICE CUP FROM CATHERINE THE GREAT’S CAMEO SERVICE, 1778 Tasse à glace Height 8.8cm Taking inspiration from classical antiquities, the Sèvres manufactory designed this new shape for the Empress of Russia’s Cameo Service. Very few pieces of this most lavish of royal services will ever be available on the market again. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES HARD-PASTE PORCELAIN A VASE IMITATING LAPIS LAZULI, 1779 Vase à oreilles, third size Height 19.8cm Neo-classical decoration on one of the designer Duplessis’ most successful rococo shapes of the 1750s. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES HARD-PASTE PORCELAIN SÈVRES HARD-PASTE PORCELAIN A BROTH BOWL AND COVER, 1784 A COVERED SUGAR BOWL, 1780–85 Ecuelle de la toilette Pot à sucre Bouret, second size Width 19.8cm Height 9.4cm This shape was designed for the dressing The flat-gilded decoration on each of table set given by Louis XVI to Catherine these pieces has dark painted highlights the Great’s daughter-in-law in 1782. to create a three-dimensional effect. FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A CUP AND SAUCER, circa 1780–85 A BROTH BOWL, COVER AND STAND, 1781 Gobelet litron et soucoupe, first size Écuelle ovale et plateau Height of cup 7.6cm Width of stand 22.3cm Bleu nouveau ground with cameo decoration Bleu nouveau ground with elaborate painted onto red enamel ‘jewels’. ‘jewelling’ attributed to Philippe Parpette. FROM THE COLLECTION OF FROM THE COLLECTION OF SIR ALFRED CHESTER BEATTY PURCHASED AN ENGLISH NOBLEMAN BY AN ENGLISH NOBLEMAN, 1955 SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN SÈVRES SOFT-PASTE PORCELAIN A CUP AND SAUCER, 1781 A COVERED SUGAR BOWL, circa 1780–82 A CUP AND SAUCER, circa 1780–85 Gobelet litron et soucoupe, second size Pot à sucre Calabre, first size Gobelet litron et soucoupe, third size Height of cup 6.9cm Height 11.5cm Height of cup 6.1cm Bleu nouveau ground with ‘jewelling’ Bleu nouveau ground with Bleu nouveau ground with and exceptional painting. ‘jewelled’ borders. ‘jewelled’ borders. PURCHASED BY AN FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE LATE PURCHASED BY AN ENGLISH NOBLEMAN, 1955 JOHANNES LAFRENZ, MUNICH ENGLISH NOBLEMAN, 1955 DETAIL A BROTH BOWL, COVER AND STAND, 1781 Bleu nouveau ground with elaborate ‘jewelling’ attributed to Philippe Parpette. DETAIL DETAIL A CUP AND SAUCER, circa 1780–85 A CUP AND SAUCER, 1781 Bleu nouveau ground with cameo Bleu nouveau ground with ‘jewelling’ and decoration painted onto red enamel exceptional painting on the cup of Toilette de Venus ‘jewels’ (left page).