BLUE INTERLACED L'S MARKS ENCLOSING DATE LETTER PP FOR 1792, PAINTER'S MARKS FOR LE BEL, CHOISY, COMMELIN, BOILEAU AND DE LAROCHE, GILDER'S MARKS FOR VINCENT, LE GUAY AND PRVOST

The present twelve plates, painted in the parasol Chinois pattern recorded in the Svres album of plate designs as pattern No. 134, are likely to be among those originally made for the noted English collector William Beckford. The factory sales records note two purchases in the name of 'Milford Betfort' (sic), now presumed to be mis-spelling of Beckford's name--one on 13 March 1792 for 72 plates at cost of 33 livres each, and one on 23 November 1792 at a slightly higher cost of 39 livres each. The date letter marking system used at Svres was not based on a calendar year starting in January, hence the date letter presumed to comprise these orders (Svres register Vy10).

Over the years, various sets of parasol Chinois plates, all with date letter PP for 1793, have appeared on the market including twelve sold on behalf of the Earl of Sefton, Croxteth Hall, Christie's in conjunction with Corckhill & Job, Liverpool, 17-20 September 1973, lot 888.

Marks for the following painter's recorded at Svres appear on these plates:
Henry-Germain Boleau, 1781-1793

Cyprien-Julien Hirel de Choisy, 1770-1812

Michel-Gabriel Commelin, 1768-1802

Jacques-Franois-Louis de Laroche, 1758-1802

Jean-Nicolas LeBel, 1765-1793

Marks for the following gilders recorded at Svres appear on these plates:
Etienne-Henry LeGuay, 1748-1749 and 1751-1796

Henri-Martin Prvost, 1757-1797

Henry-Franois Vincent, 1753-1800