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A COLLECTION FROM AN HOTEL PARTICULIER ON THE AVENUE MONTAIGNE The following thirty-two lots (lots 28-58) were acquired between circa 1890 and circa 1930 by an important French industrial family. The porcelain principally decorated their hôtel particulier on the Avenue Montaigne in central Paris, as depicted in the two 1920s watercolours below. The main collector, a successful industrialist, had a particular taste for magnificent 18th century Meissen and other German manufactories and later he and his son carefully expanded the breadth of the collection to incorporate French porcelain, and in particular, 18th century Sèvres. The family actively lived with the porcelain, with multiple items tastefully ornamenting their well-attended dinner tables, others delicately living behind glass vitrines. The hôtel particulier was in those days a prominent fixture of the Parisian social scene and the pieces accompanied the family in most gatherings. In 1962 the collection was carefully wrapped up and put in strong wooden crates which were then left unopened for over 50 years. In October 2014 the same dusty crates were finally opened up and their beautiful contents revealed. The same family now three generations later is offering this extraordinary collection for sale. The second portion of this collection will be offered at Christie’s South Kensington on 30th June.

A MEISSEN GROUP OF 'THE HAND KISS'

CIRCA 1737

Details

A MEISSEN GROUP OF 'THE HAND KISS'
CIRCA 1737
Modelled by J.J. Kändler, the kneeling suitor kissing the hand of a seated crinoline lady holding a teabowl and saucer, with a pug-dog on her lap, a blackamoor holding a tazza with a teabowl and saucer to her right, on a shaped mound base applied with flowers and foliage (blackamoor cracked and restored through ankles, replacement right foot, restoration to tree-stump, gallant's nose and tip of sword, pug's tail replaced, slight chipping to extremities, minor wear to gilding)
6 1/8 in. (15.5 cm.) high

Special Notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

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Matilda Burn

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Lot Essay

Two details of this group are illustrated on the previous page.

This group is recorded in Kändler's Taxa of 1737 and exists with a number of variations to the figural composition. The group was inspired by an engraving by Laurent Cars after Boucher depicting a scene from Molière's comedy 'Le Sicilien ou l'Amour peintre'. A similar group in the Rijksmuseum is illustrated by Abraham L. den Blaauwen, Meissen Porcelain in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 2000, pp. 428-429, cat. no. 314.

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