A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1783. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet litron et soucoupe of the third size, decorated with a blue ground enriched with guilloche and Vitruvian scrollﾠborders in stamped raisedﾠgold foil, the ground with scatteredﾠgold veins resembling lapis lazuli, the cup reserved with a classical scene in sepia tones depictingﾠHercules and Omphale, the saucer with a Herculean trophy including a pair of doves, a distaff, clubﾠand lionskin; interlaced Ls flanked by dateletters ff for 1783, gilder's mark 2000 for Henry-François Vincent, incised 48a 2, Wilfrid Evill Collection Label; cup 6cm., 2½in., saucer 12cm., 4¾in. ESTIMATE 4,000-6,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 10,625 GBP

Note The application of gold foil was a technique associated with jewelled enamelling perfected around 1780 by the enameller Joseph Coteau. The stamped decoration was achieved by using steel dies provided for the factory by the Parisian engraver Jean-Pascal Le Guay from 1780- 82. The original source for the scene of Hercules and Omphale is probably a painting by François Lemoyne of 1724, now in the Louvre. According to classical mythology, in order to expiate a crime, the great hero Hercules entered the service of Omphale, Queen of Lydia. He submitted himself to all the tasks she set him, including as shown here, spinning flax or wool. The Queen fell in love with him and they were subsequently married. This type of gilded ground decoration resembling hardstone was extremely fashionable in the period 1778-83, see Geoffrey de Bellaigue, French Porcelain in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen, 2009, Vol. II, p. 443, and nos. 102 and 104 for vases with the same ground.

A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1764. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet litron et soucoupe of the first size, decorated with a blue ground reserved with fishermen in harbour scenesﾠpainted byﾠMorin, the ground richly gilded with laurel branches; interlaced Ls enclosing dateletter L for 1764, painter's mark M for Jean-Louis Morin, saucer with incised reversed S, cup with oo and another indistinct mark possibly uo; cup 7.6cm., 3in., saucer 13.9cm.,5.½in. ESTIMATE 3,000-5,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 7,500 GBP

Note: A vase hollandais at Waddesdon Manor has a panel with a very similar group of figures, see Svend Eriksen, Sèvres Porcelain, 1968, pp. 172-3

A miniature Sèvres jewelled cup and saucer,1782. Photo Sotheby's

obelet litron of the fourth size,ﾠthe green ground decorated withﾠa border of translucent enamel anthemions and, in the centre, a bouquet of flowers, edged with rows of opaque enamel pearls; interlaced Ls enclosing datelettersﾠEE for 1782, unidentified gilder's mark g. or 9 all gilded, cup with incised z or N ; cup 4.6cm., 1¾in, saucer 10.6cm., 4¼in. ESTIMATE 5,000-7,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 7,500 GBP

A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1758-59. Photo Sotheby's

obelet Calabre et soucoupe of the first size, the bleu lapis ground reserved with figures in delicate riverside landscapes, richly gilded slight wear; interlaced Ls enclosing dateletter F for 1758-59, painter's mark of y for Edmé-François Bouillat père, cup with incised S, Wilfrid Evill Collection Label; cup 8cm., 3in., saucer 14.9cm., 6in. ESTIMATE 2,000-3,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 6,500 GBP

A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1765-70. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet et soucoupe enfoncé of the first size, decorated with a turquoise pointillé ground reserved with garden landscapes, probably by Vielliard, including a wheelbarrow, a basket of eggs, a milk churn, a structure for keeping dairy products cool, and baskets of fruits and vegetables; incised marks only, saucer with JS or TS, cup with Sp, Wilfrid Evill Collection Label; cup 8.9cm., 3.½in., saucer 15.4cm., 6in. ESTIMATE 3,000-4,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 6,500 GBP

Note: For a small tray with a similar scene with gardening implements at Waddesdon Manor, see Svend Eriksen, Sèvres Porcelain, 1968, pp. 204-5, no. 74, and for a cup and saucer see Rosalind Savill,  The Wallace Collection Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, 1988, Vol. II, pp. 548-54, C369. Both items bear the mark of the painter André-Vincent Vielliard and it is probable this cup and saucer were also painted by him.

A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1758A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1764. Photo Sotheby's

decorated with a turquoise bleu céleste ground gilded with anﾠoeil de perdrix pattern reserved withﾠexotic birds in landscapesﾠpainted by Aloncle, slight wear; interlaced Ls enclosing dateletterﾠL for 1764, painter's mark of a scrolling N for François-Joseph Aloncle, saucer with incised reversed S, Wilfrid Evill Collection Label; cup 6.1cm., 2½in., saucer 11.9cm., 4¾in. ESTIMATE 2,000-3,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 5,625 GBP

Note: This cup shape is possibly a gobelet couvert without a cover of the second size and the saucer is a soucoupe Bouillard.a soucoupe Bouillard.

A Sèvres cup and saucer, circa 1758-59. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet Hébert et soucoupe, decorated with shaped blue and green ground panels, the blue ground with caillouté and oeil de perdrix gilding, reserved withﾠlandscapes with rustic buildings and figures; interlaced Ls enclosing dateletter f , unknown painter's mark of a caduceus, rubbed on the saucer, saucer with incised I, cup withﾠND; cup 6.6cm., 2½in., saucer 13.7cm., 5½in. ESTIMATE 3,000-5,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 4,375 GBP

A Sèvres cup and saucer, 1767. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet Bouillard et soucoupe of the first size, decorated with a green ground gilded with mouches d'or, reserved with flower sprays painted by Pierre le jeune; interlaced Ls mark enclosing dateletter o for 1767, painter's mark of a P and a comma for Jean-Jacques Pierre le jeune, saucer with incised Sp, cup with S ; cup 6.2cm., 2.½in., saucer 14.3cm., 5.½in. ESTIMATE 2,000-3,000 GBP  - Lot Sold: 1,750 GBP

A miniature Sèvres jewelled cup and saucer, circa 1780-85. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet litron et soucoupe of the fourth size, decorated with a blue ground band edged with translucent and opaque jewelled enamel borders in red, green and white; interlaced Ls, gilder's mark HP for Henri Prévost, cup with incised 36 ; cup 4.6cm., 1¾in., saucer 10.7cm., 4¼in. ESTIMATE 4,000-6,000 GBP- Lot Sold: 1,375 GBP

A Sèvres cup and saucer, circa 1758-59, the decoration probably early 19th century. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet Bouillard et soucoupeﾠof the first size, decorated with shaped green and blue ground panelsreserved withﾠmixed flower sprays; interlaced Ls enclosing dateletter F, unknown painter's mark resembling the heraldic ermine mark, cup with incised cc ; cup 6cm., 2.½in., saucer 13.6cm, 5.¼in. ESTIMATE 500-700 GBP - Lot Sold: 688 GBP

A Sèvres cup and saucer, circa 1758, the decoration possibly of later date. Photo Sotheby's

gobelet litron et soucoupe of the first size, paintedﾠwith large panels ofﾠbirds in landscapes, the mosaïque border reserved with flower panels, gilded cup rim rubbed; marks possibly spurious: interlaced Ls mark enclosing e for 1757-58, painter's mark of N for François-Joseph Aloncle, cup with incised 9 and 45, saucer with 9i ; cup 7.5cm., 3in., saucer 14.2cm., 5.½in. ESTIMATE 1,500-2,000 GBP - Lot Sold: 438 GBP

Sotheby's. The  Evill/Frost Collection. London, 15-16 June 2011 www.sothebys.com