Lot Essay
The arms are those of the Grill family of Sweden. At least six services are known for various members of the family. This service was probaby made for Adolf Ulrik Grill and Anna Johanna Grill, who were cousins and married in 1778. See Bo Gyllensvärd, op.cit., 1990, p.150, fig.311 for a dish from this service, and ibid. p.154 where the author says that this service was probably made for these cousins, and states that according to Bo Lagercrantz, the design was probably made by Jean Erik Rehn, one of the foremost draftsmen, who worked closely with the important Swedish ceramic factories in the eighteenth century. Examples of each of the six services for the Grill family are in the Gothenburg Historical Museum, and are illustrated by Stig Roth, Chinese Porcelain Imported by the Swedish East India Company, 1965, figs. 19-24. Examples of other Grill services are illustrated by B. Gyllensvärd, ibid., colour plates 302 and 315 (top left), and figs. 309-312; by D. Howard and J. Ayers, op.cit., vol.II, no.454; by C. Le Corbeiller, op.cit., no.41, p.100; and B. Gyllensvärd, Kinesiskt Porslin, pl.76