Lot Essay
Désiré Leroy apprenticed at the Sèvres factory in the mid-19th century. At the age of 38, he moved from France to take an appointment at Minton. In 1890, he was engaged and given his own studio by Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company where he remained until his death in 1908. A contemporary commentator described his work 'as deserving of great praise...These for neatness, delicate manipulation, and artistic refinement, cannot be surpassed, and this is the character of all his work.' See Twitchett and Bailey, Royal Crown Derby, New York, 1987, p. 84-86 for a discussion on Leroy's distinguished career.