A Sevres seau a liqueur ovale, 1773, painted by F-J Aloncle ...

Hammer

£5,500

A Sevres seau a liqueur ovale, 1773, painted by F-J Aloncle to both sides with birds in cisele frames reserved on a bleu celeste ground,   11.5cm h, 30cm over handles, underglaze blue interlaced L's, date letter 'U', painter's mark and that of the gilder J-P Boulanger (blue) and M-B Chauveau (effaced)

Provenance: The Honourable Rosemary Seymour, nee Scott-Ellis (1922-2017) to whom given by her father the 8th Baron Howard de Walden of Chirk Castle (Rosemary is the central figure in Sir John Lavery's famous conversation piece of the Howard de Walden family at Chirk, 1932-3) c1950 or alternatively a gift from Gerald Ellis (1872-1953) (Gentleman Usher or Extra Gentleman Usher to Kings Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Queen Elizabeth II) thence by descent at Thrumpton Hall, Nottingham, to the present vendor. 

The present seau is from a now dispersed small service of which surviving pieces are in collections at Goodwood House, West Sussex, Stratfieldsaye House, Hampshire and formerly in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Whereas the original purchaser of the service has not been identified, it and many other Sevres services of the period could well have been obtained from the factory by a dealer. In the second half of 1773, the Paris merchand-mercier Madame Lair purchased service items in sufficient number and at appropriate prices to embrace the service containing the surviving 1773 pieces with a turquoise ground and bird decoration.
This subject has been researched in detail by David Peters and it seems likely that the present lot formed part of the bulk return for a purchase made by Madame Lair during the second half of 1773, which included an item described as a seau a liqueur but in fact more likely a seau a liqueur ovale at a cost of 156 livres, rather more than four times the cost of a plate.

More Information

Foot with four tiny drilled holes for fitting to the corresponding holes on the ormolu stand, not otherwise damaged save for small chip to one of the interior upright divisions