THE PORCELAIN 18TH CENTURY, THE DECORATION AND MOUNTS CIRCA 1820

Details

A PAIR OF RESTAURATION ORMOLU-MOUNTED SEVRES PORCELAIN COMPORTS
THE PORCELAIN 18TH CENTURY, THE DECORATION AND MOUNTS CIRCA 1820
Formed from plates moulded with C-scroll borders, painted to simulate cameo with portraits of ladies, bust length, in profile to the left and right, named DE SCARRON and DES HOULLIERS, within shaped cartouches edged with gilt scrolls, flowers and fruiting vines on a turquoise ground, the borders each reserved with three panels of trophies, enriched in gilding, each rim applied with three gilt-metal handles cast with shell, leaf and fruiting vine ornament, supported by gadrooned stems cast with bands of stiff acanthus leaves above flowerheads and square footed bases, minor chip to rims
The plates - 9 7/8 in. (25.2 cm.) diameter; 5½ in. (14 cm.) high (2)

Provenance

Purchased by George Byng Esq. M.P. (d.1847) at Oxenhams, June 1836 and by descent.

Literature

'List of Furniture, Porcelain, Paintings & C., purchased by George Byng Esq., for Wrotham Park, 1816-43','JUNE 1836 OXENHAM A Sevres Tazza fond bleu Turquoise, in the centre a Medallion Head as a cameo £9 5s 0d.'
Wrotham Park 1847 Inventory,'SECOND DRAWING ROOM A pair of Sevre china plates mounted with ormolu.'

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

The female subjects of these porcelain comports have literary backgrounds. 'De Scarron' refers to Francoise Scarron, also known as the Marquise de Maintenon (1635-1719). The wife of Paul Scarron, a famous French burlesque poet and dramatist who contributed significantly to the development of three literary genres: the drama, the burlesque epic, and the novel. He is remembered today for a single work, Le Roman comique (1651). After her husband's death in 1660 she became a governess for the mistress of Louis XIV's children, Mme. De Montespan. In 1683 she secretly became the second wife of Louis XIV.

'Des Houlliers' refers to Madame Antoinette Deshouliéres (1638-1694) one of the foremost female poets of France. She is mostly known as the author of verse altough she did write two unsuccessful tragedies.

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