2019-08-01_Homes_&_Antiques 2

A N T I Q U E S. N O W.

R

ussianporcelain

madefortheimperial

palaceswasofthe

highestquality,as

thiscrisplydecorated

cupandsaucerfromthefamous

RopshaServiceillustrates.

Thegildedpiece,whichdates

to1906,morethandoubledits

estimatewhenit soldatWoolley

&Wallisearlierthisyear.The

dinner service was made at

theStPetersburg’sImperial

PorcelainManufactoryforthe

RopshaPalaceincelebration

ofNapoleon’sdefeatbyRussia

in1812,andwaressuchasthis

wouldhavebeenreplacementsor

additionstotheoriginalservice.

Thegrand,18th-century

palaceissome 30 milesfrom

StPetersburgandwaswherethe

lasttsarofRussia,NicholasII,

liked to hunt and sh. The service

hasa shellpaernand,asseen

here,thesaucerbearstheHouse

ofRomanovcrest of a double-

headedeagle.

ItemsfromtheRopshaService

comeupforauctionfromtimeto

time,suchasveassortedplates

withvariousdatesthatsoldfor

£625atBonhams’Russian Sale in

Novemberlastyear.

01722 424500;

woolleyandwallis.co.uk

Perfection in Porcelain

Estimate £400-£600 Sold £1,700

Froma Victorianwalkingcanetopintheshapeofa storktoRomanov

porcelain,Caroline Wheater picks her highlights from recent auctions

Star Sales

August 2019 Homes & Antiques 127