An Extensive Paris Porcelain Hand-Painted and Parcel-Gilt Part Dinner Service mid 19th century

The maroon ground encompassing central floral decoration, some pieces with fruit, ornithological, or portrait motifs as noted; comprising: twenty-eight each dinner plates and luncheon plates (nine with fruit motif); eighteen bread and butter plates; sixteen each saucers (each marked ‘Rihouet a Paris’) and rimmed soup bowls; thirteen flat cups (each marked ‘Rihouet a Paris’); seven oval platters of four sizes; two each open oval vegetable dishes (marked ‘Fabrique pour W.J. Kerr Philadelphia’), relish dishes, footed double-lipped sauceboats on fixed underplates, footed compotes (one with fruit motif, the other with ornithological motif), covered circular footed tureens, covered footed sauce tureens on fixed underplates (one with ornithological motif), reticulated footed fruit baskets on reticulated stands (one with fruit motif), oval footed vegetable dishes (one with cover, the other without); and one each reticulated footed oval centerpiece bowl on reticulated stand, covered tureen, circular footed bowl, handled basket; sold together with six associated butter pats (with portrait motif). (approx. 155).

Dia: 10 in. (dinner plate); H: 11, W: 15, D: 9 1/4 in. (tureen)

Note

According to family tradition, this service was a gift from the French Republic to Richard Rush upon completion of his service as Minister to France in 1849. Purportedly, this is in the tradition of the French government bestowing a French dinner service to each departing American Minister to France, a tradition that first began with Thomas Jefferson in 1789.

Provenance

Diplomatic gift from the French Republic to Richard Rush upon completion of his service as Minister to France in 1849, by repute.

Thence by descent.