CIRCA 1780, CUP AND SAUCER WITH UNDERGLAZE BLUE SCEPTRE MARKS AND PAINTER'S PUCE 4. MARKS

Details

A Berlin Royal portrait-cup, cover and stand
Circa 1780, cup and saucer with underglaze blue sceptre marks and painter's puce 4. marks
The vertical moulded gilt and white striped ground of the cup reserved with an oval medallion painted en grisaille with a portrait of Catherine the Great, edged with a moulded gilt garland and suspended from gilt swags on a pink band border above a narrow band of moulded gilt bead ornament, the foliage scroll handle moulded with gilt beads, the saucer with a similar border and ground radiating from the centre, the centre painted en grisaille with emblems of justice and the law among clouds, the domed cover with a similar ground radiating from a foliafe and bud finial (the cup with restored rim chip and two restored footrim chips, slight re-touching to gilt rim, the cover possibly with some re-touching to gilding and finial possibly restuck, some rubbing to gilt rims)
5 in. (12.5 cm.) high

Provenance

Rohloff Collection no. 1978 85

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

'Catherine the Great' (1729-1796) was born Sophia Augusta Frederica, the daughter of Prince Anhalt Zerbst, and changed her name in 1745 on her marriage to Grand Duke Peter, the nephew of Empress Elizabeth I, and later Tsar Peter III. Shortly after her husband succeeded to the throne he publicly threatened to marry his mistress Yelizaveta Vorontsova, divorce Catherine and incarcerate her in a convent. He was consequently famously deposed by her in 1762 and murdered shortly afterwards by one of her favourites, Count Aleksey Orlov.

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