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Lot Essay
The arms (a pale of eight, argent and gules on the third pale a cross or) are those of the Grimani family of Venice, see Araldo de Veneti Patrizi del P. Coronelli, p. 11.
These teabowls are from a service which was most probably made for Pietro Grimani (1677-1752) who was ambassador to England, Vienna and Rome in 1710, 1713 and 1714 respectively. In 1719 he became Procurator of San Marco and was also involved in the Peace Treaty with Austria and the Ottoman Empire in about 1719. His greatest achievements were made before his election as Doge of Venice in 1741. It seems likely that this cultured, international man would perhaps have been presented with this service as a diplomatic gift. See the teapot and cover from the same service sold in these Rooms on 7 July 1997, lot 302.
Very few armorial services were made before 1723 and this service is apparently unrecorded in the literature. See T.H. Clarke, Bttger-Wappenporzellan, p. 21, no. 1 for a beaker and saucer with the arms of Sophia, Kurfrstin von Hannover and another beaker 1713-16 with the arms of Sibylla Augusta von Sachsen Lauenburg. The only other examples of this date are the service for the King of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus II and the service sold by Christie's Geneva on 14 November 1988, lots 131-133.
These teabowls are from a service which was most probably made for Pietro Grimani (1677-1752) who was ambassador to England, Vienna and Rome in 1710, 1713 and 1714 respectively. In 1719 he became Procurator of San Marco and was also involved in the Peace Treaty with Austria and the Ottoman Empire in about 1719. His greatest achievements were made before his election as Doge of Venice in 1741. It seems likely that this cultured, international man would perhaps have been presented with this service as a diplomatic gift. See the teapot and cover from the same service sold in these Rooms on 7 July 1997, lot 302.
Very few armorial services were made before 1723 and this service is apparently unrecorded in the literature. See T.H. Clarke, Bttger-Wappenporzellan, p. 21, no. 1 for a beaker and saucer with the arms of Sophia, Kurfrstin von Hannover and another beaker 1713-16 with the arms of Sibylla Augusta von Sachsen Lauenburg. The only other examples of this date are the service for the King of Sardinia, Victor Amadeus II and the service sold by Christie's Geneva on 14 November 1988, lots 131-133.