A SEVRES BLEU NOUVEAU JEWELLED CRESTED COFFEE CAN AND SAUCER (GOBELET 'LITRON' ET SOUCOUPE, 1ERE GRANDEUR)

CIRCA 1781-1782, GILT INTERLACED L'S MARKS AND GILDER'S MARK FOR LE GUAY, THE CARDINAL'S MONOGRAN A LATER ADDITION, INCISED 88 AND 39 TO THE CUP, 40 TO THE SAUCER

Details

A SEVRES BLEU NOUVEAU JEWELLED CRESTED COFFEE CAN AND SAUCER (GOBELET 'LITRON' ET SOUCOUPE, 1ERE GRANDEUR)
Circa 1781-1782, gilt interlaced L's marks and gilder's mark for Le Guay, the cardinal's monogran a later addition, incised 88 and 39 to the cup, 40 to the saucer
Jewelled with the entwined script initials PB within a jewelled surround and surmounted by a gilt cisel Cardinal's hat and scrolls suspending tassels, enclosed between bands of jewelled foliate scrolls, beads and Vitruvian scrolls, with original fitted leather box (2)

Provenance

Anon. sale; Christie's, London, 4 December 1985, lot 25 (the arms described as period with the other jewelled decoration)
Anon. sale; Sotheby's, London, 25 November 1997, lot 28

Lot Essay

The monogram on the present cup and saucer was tentatively identified by David Peters in 1997 as that of Franois-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis (1715-1795), the only French cardinal at the time the present lot was made known to have patronized the Svres factory. However, it was not until 1832 that the Sacred Congregation of Ceremonies codified at fifteen the number of tassels worn by Cardinals on their hats. Prior to this date, anywhere from three and fifteen were used, with five the usual number. See Bruno Bernhard Heim, Heraldry in the Catholic Church: Its origins, customs, and laws, London, 1978.

tienne-Henry Le Guay, pre, active at Vincennes and Svres as a painter of friezes and as a gilder, 1748-1749, 1751-1796.

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