Madame de Pompadour's favourite porcelain is for sale

LONDON - A Sèvres plate and teapot are some wonderful ceramic survivors which have just been discovered in Devon by one of Bonhams local specialists, Sam Tuke, of the Exeter office.

They will be available for purchase at the next European Ceramics sale at Bonhams 101 in London, on 18th June.

Sam Tuke says: “I was doing a house call just before Christmas as the client was moving home and wanted a collection of Chinese blue and white porcelain valued. I ended up doing a total contents valuation and as I was working my way through the house spotted something that looked interesting on the pine dresser in the kitchen”.

“It turned out that I’d found a rather special Sèvres tea pot with a very unusual colour. On looking around some more I also found a Sèvres plate that was shown at the Great Exhibition in 1851. The client had inherited the teapot and plate but had no idea that either of them might be valuable. She just thought them rather pretty, which they certainly are”.

Sam Tuke adds: “If you are not absolutely sure of what you have, do dust carefully! Or have Bonhams pop in to give you a free valuation”.

Madame De Pompadour loved Sèvres porcelain. This passion of hers is well documented.

Mrs. Hickmott said: “I’d like to say a special thank you to Sam Tuke of Bonhams Exeter office. We had been turned away by other international auction houses as well as television antiques shows. Everyone pooh-poohed our belief that the stone was special. It was only Sam’s determination to research the stone that has led to this happy result. We are thrilled”.