The John Shearer Collection of Important Meissen, Vincennes and Sèvres, Christie’s, King Street, London SW1, Tuesday, 25 November 2014, 10:30am
John Shearer
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2014
John Shearer (1924–2010) began collecting in the late 1960s and was helped by one of the most well-respected dealers of the time ‘Bob’ Williams (1923-2014). As this sale shows it must have been a very exciting journey with the emphasis on quality, condition and provenance.
Lot 37
A MEISSEN SLOP-BOWL
CIRCA 1723-24
Painted on one side with merchants and their wares in a palace interior overlooking the sea with a ship on the water beyond, the other with a procession of Turkish figures, soldiers, horses and a caparisoned elephant on the shore and a dressed barge beyond with blackamoors aboard, within oval gilt scroll-edged cartouches with Böttger-lustre panels issuing shadowed iron-red scrolls, the interior painted possibly by J.E. Stadler with an Oriental holding a fan within a similar cartouche below a gilt band border (minor chip to footrim)
6 5/8 in. (16.8 cm.) diam.
Estimate 15,000 – 20,000 British pounds
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2014
Many of the pieces in the collection reflect Shearer’s other interests and passions such as his love of seafaring which is seen in the decoration of some of his Meissen. Similarly various Sèvres pieces show he was also interested in ornithology.
Lot 3
A VINCENNES BALUSTER POT AND A COVER (POT ‘A BOUILLON’ OR ‘MARMITE’)
CIRCA 1746-49, THE CONTEMPORARY COVER POSSIBLY MATCHED
Painted in the Meissen style, one side with boats on a river beside a tower, the other with Turkish and European figures in conversation beside a river, supported on three paw feet (very minor wear to enamels)
12.7 cm. (5 in.) high
Estimate 50,000 – 80,000 British pounds
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2014
The decoration of very early pieces of Vincennes reflected the style used in Meissen as can be seen in the rare Vincennes pot ‘a bouillon’ circa 1746-49. The Vincennes factory, later Sèvres, very quickly developed its own style which is well represented in the sale and will be familiar to many.
Lot 31
A SEVRES BLEU CELESTE-GROUND SOUP-PLATE FROM THE CATHERINE THE GREAT SERVICE
1778, BLUE INTERLACED L MARK ENCLOSING DATE LETTERS AA, IRON-RED GILDER’S MARK 2000 FOR HENRY-FRANCOIS VINCENT, THE REVERSE APPLIED WITH VARIOUS PRINTED AND SCRIPT COLLECTION AND EXHIBITION LABELS
The centre with a crowned floral and gilt ‘EII’ cypher for Catherine II, Empress of Russia, enclosed by ribbon-tied branches of laurel and myrtle within a circular gilt-framed medallion, the bleu céleste-ground border enriched in gilding with scrolling foliage and reserved with brown-ground oval panels printed and painted en grisaille with mythological vignettes alternating with cameo heads within floral borders with gilt husks, within a gilt lined rim (small restored regilt flat rim chip to front at 7.30 o’clock and reverse at 12 o’clock)
26.6 cm. (10½ in.) diam.
Estimate 70,000 – 100,000 British pounds
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2014
PUBLIC VIEWING:
Friday 21 November: 12pm – 5pm
Saturday 22 November: 12pm – 5pm
Sunday 23 November: 12pm – 5pm
Monday 24 November: 9am – 4.30pm
Tuesday 25 November: 9am – 10:30am
Lot 40
A MEISSEN CHINOISERIE SCENT-FLASK AND COVER
CIRCA 1730, GREY ENAMEL CLSS MARK AND INDISTINCT LOWER CASE SCRIPT MARK
Of flattened axe-head form, each side painted possibly by C.F. Herold with Oriental figures at various pursuits within axe-head shaped gilt cartouches flanked by single figures on Böttger-lustre and gilt scroll supports, the sides with iron-red figural oval medallions enclosed by iron-red and purple foliage with swag and husk ornament, the oval cover with a carnation finial and gilt scroll border (slight wear to gilding, small chips to leaves of finial)
6¼ in. (15.9 cm.) high
Estimate 40,000 – 60,000 British pounds
CHRISTIE’S IMAGES LTD. 2014
Tim Forrest's E & A 