An early Meissen armorial teabowl and saucer from the Legge service, circa 1725. Photo Sotheby's

each piece painted by J. G. Höroldt with the arms of Legge under a marquis coronet with a tooled gilt cartouche, the teabowl also with a chinoiserie figure standing over a brazier(some chips). Estimation 4,000-6,000 GBP

PROVENANCE: Christie's Geneva, 14 November 1988, lot 134

NOTE: This unrecorded service was apparently made for the Leze or Legge family. Some branches of this family can be found in the Veneto and at Verona, and they evidently were obedient to the Austrian Empire for which they received distinctions and the Imperial Eagle on their coat-of-arms.The iconography depicts subjects connected with fire or the firing process and is present on the majorityof the service, which is very rare and fascinating. For further pieces of this service, see Christie's Geneva, 14 November 1988, lot 131 to 135.

Sotheby's. The Collection of Giovanni and Gabriella Barilla, Londres | 14 mars 2012