A SÈVRES PORCELAIN ASSEMBLED PART DINNER SERVICE CIRCA 1756-91

each piece painted with scattered flower sprays and sprigs within a gilt-dashed blue line border, comprising: two wine coolers, seaux à bouteilles; two oval monteiths, seaux crénelés; two decagonal salad bowls, saladiers; four oval sugar bowls, covers and stands, sucriers ovales et plateaux; two oval sauce tureens, covers and attached stands, sucriers de Monsieur le Premier; two butter tubs, covers and attached stands, beurriers; two triple jam pots, covers and attached stands, plateaux à trois pots de confitures; four oval salt cellars, salières simples; two triangular stands, plateaux triangulaires; two pairs of shaped oval dishes in two sizes, compotiers ovales; three square dishes, compotiers carrés; eight shell-shaped dishes, compotiers coquilles; eleven dinner plates, assiettes unies and twenty-four dinner plates with molded basketweave borders, assiettes à osier, most with interlaced L's, date letters D for 1756 to oo for 1791 and various painters' marks in blue, puce or black enamel and various incised numerals and marks. Some minor wear, chips and haircracks. 84 pieces.

(one wine cooler) The Collection of Joseph Gruss, sold, Christie's, New York, April 26, 1994, lot 92

24 plates with basket-molded rims - all with some mostly minor wear and scratching from use. Seven otherwise excellent, but two of those with a ¼-inch (6-mm.) firing crack on the rim edge, of no consequence. Five otherwise good other than minor wear to the gilding on the rim edge. Eight with serious wear to the gilding on the rim edge, and three of those with serious wear to the enamels, and one of those three with some odd pooling of blue in the glaze. One plate with serious wear to the gilding and enamels and with a 3/8-inch (1-cm.) chip on the upper edge of the rim. One with very slight wear to the gilding on the edge, but with a 5/16-inch ( 8-mm.) chip on the upper edge of the rim. One with fairly serious wear to the gilding on the edge and with a ¼-inch (6-mm.) chip on the upper edge of the rim. 11 plates with plain rims - all with some mostly minor wear and scratching from use. Five otherwise excellent. One 9 ¾-inch plate with wear to the blue line on the inner edge of the rim an a fair amount of central wear, mostly to the glaze. One with serious wear to the gilt rim edge. Four with moderate wear to the gilt rim edge; one of those with considerable wear to the blue line on the inner rim edge; and another with some brown spots in the paste under the rim. Eight shell-shaped dishes - all with very minor scratching in the central glaze from use. One good other than a little rubbing to the gilding on the handle and a ¾-inch (2-cm.) footrim chip. One excellent, but the blue enamel didn't 'take' perfectly on the edged of the hanle or the line around the rim, particularly near the handle. One excellent other than very minor wear to the gilding on the rim edge and possibly touched up on the handle (but probably not). One excellent other than a 2-mm. flake to the gilding on the rim. One excellent other than two 5/8-inch (1.6-cm.) firing cracks on one side of the handle; and a tiny enamel flake and slight wear to the gilding on the handle. One with some wear to the gilding on the rim and a 1-mm.rim chip; the upper edges of the handle scrolls with speckling. One with a shallow 7/16-inch (1-cm.) chip on the rim edge. One with serious wear to the gilding on the rim edge and quite a bit of scratching to the glaze. Three square dishes - all with very minor central scratching from use. The plain-edged dish with some wear to the gilding on the rim edge. The dentil-edged pair: one with very slight wear to the gilding on the rim edge; the other with some speckling in the glaze on the exterior. Pair of 13 ¾-inch oval dishes - both with very minor central scratching. One with a 1-inch (2.5-cm.) area of minor wear to the gilding on the rim edge and nearby a 1/16-inch (2-mm.) chip on the upper edge of the rim; also a few minor speckles. The other with two 1-inch (2.5-cm.) patches of wear to the gilding on the rim edge and within one of those a ¼-inch (6-mm.) firing crack in a notch). 10 7/8-inch oval dish - good condition other than minor central scratching. 10 5/8-inch oval dish - good condition other than minor central scratching and a little patchy wear to the rim edge. Plain-edged triangular dish - good other than fairly serious central wear and scratching, and two ½-inch (1.6-cm.) and one ¾-inch (2-cm.) footrim chips, all of them original. Dentil-edged triangular dish - excellent condition; very minor central scratching. Pair of decagonal salad bowls - each with wear in the center from use: one less worn than the other and with very minor wear to the gilding on the rim edge; otherwise good. The other with wear and grey patchiness to the glaze in the center and wear to at least five corners of the rim. Four oval sucriers and covers - One sucrier taller and with an ogee-domed cover: both pieces good, but the cover with two patches of minor wear to the gilding and with a few speckles; the bowl with a patch of minor speckling on the interior. The other three bowls good, but one with some wear to the gilt dentil band on the upper edge of the rim because of rubbing from the cover, and that bowl also with a 1/8-inch (3-mm.) shallow chip on the outer edge of the rim at one end. The covers good, but one with some original 'splits' in the gilt dentil border; and another with ¼-inch (6-mm.) firing cracks in three of the four notches. Four 8 ¾-inch oval dishes - possibly the stands for sucriers, but none matching the sucriers at hand. One with a lightly fluted rim and a gilt dentil edge with some slight wear; also slight scratching to the central glaze. The three others with plain rims, some minor wear to the gilt edge and very minor central scratching.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.