A documentary Sèvres blue-ground plate from the Service 'des Productions de la nature', dated 1836. Photo: Bonhams.

Painted by Jean-François Philippine, signed at the base and dated 1836, with sea shells and coral in the centre, within gilt bands around a classical silver leaf border around the well, the blue-ground rim with classical gilt bands and acanthus decoration, the reverse inscribed in black Casque Zèbre./ Cadran./ Olive./ Corail., 24cm diam., crowned LP monogram, Sèvres and 1836 in circles stencilled in blue, incised numerals, D. 27.ms. 31. j in green and gilt AB. Estimate £4,000 - 6,000 (€5,000 - 7,400)

Exhibited:  London, Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations, 1851

An old label on the reverse states: "Plate, sent as a Chef D'oeuvre/ from the Sèvres factory to the/ 1851 Exhibition./ Painted by Philippine 1836."

Jean-François Philippine (b. 1771) specialised in painting flowers, fruit, animals and shells at the Sèvres manufactory. A pair of plates from the service depicting bunches of grapes was sold in these Rooms, 6 July 2010, lot 286. In 1836, a plate also with shell ornaments painted by Philippine from the same service was among the porcelain selected by Alexandre Broignart in 1836 for an exchange of porcelain with the Dresden porcelain collection (the list is published in Un cabinet de Porcelaines, exhibition catalogue. Musée des Beauz-Arts de Dijon (2001), pp. 29-30, no. 779 (Assiette de Monsieur Philippine, décor de coquillages).

Bonhams. FINE EUROPEAN CERAMICS. London, New Bond Street, 18 Jun 2014 - http://www.bonhams.com/