Sèvres - Lot 243

Sèvres Compotier coquille from the Duke of Dorset's service, with polychrome decoration in the center of a bouquet of forget-me-nots in a medallion surrounded by two purple and one green fillet, the rim decorated with roses in medallions on a blue background and a sowing of florets in medallions between two braids on a yellow background adorned with garlands of foliage. Marked: LL interlaced, letter-date GG for 1784, Bo painter's mark and Chauvaux gilder's mark. 18th century, year 1780. L. 21.5 cm. Provenance: This compotier coquille comes from the service purchased from the Manufacture de Sèvres on December 17, 1784 by John Frederick Sackville, third Duke of Dorset (see David Peters, op. cit. 84-13), shortly after his arrival in France as British ambassador, a position he held until 1789. He became friends with King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette. The service originally comprised four examples of this form, each priced at 39 livres. The service was taken to England in 1789 when the Duke returned.