Centuries of Craftsmanship: Roseberys Presents Fine & Decorative

Roseberys presents its first Fine & Decorative sale of the year, led by the esteemed collection of the late Hugo Morley-Fletcher MA FSA (1940-2022), a distinguished ceramics specialist, former Director of Christie’s, and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert. Further works from the collection are offered in Roseberys’ March Old Master, British & European Pictures sale.

Among the highlights is an exceptional Sèvres porcelain bleu-céleste-ground tobacco jar and cover, dating to circa 1768. The jar features elongated gilt-edged oval medallions bordered by foliate gilding and adorned with floral motifs and maroon bell flowers.  Estimated at £1,800-£2,500, it is the finest piece of Sèvres porcelain in the collection.

Also featured is a Meissen porcelain lobed dessert plate, illustrated in Morley-Fletcher’s Meissen Porcelain in Colour (London, 1979). Dating to circa 1735, it is painted with chinoiserie figures on a seashore and is of the ‘Earl of Jersey type,’ associated with the Villiers family, the Earls of Jersey. Estimated at £1,500-£2,000, this plate represents the exquisite craftsmanship inherent in Meissen porcelain.

Beyond the Morley-Fletcher collection, a rare 17th-century Charles II beadwork basket is expected to attract significant attention. Estimated at £3,000-£5,000, the basket, worked in coloured beads on wooden boards, depicts allegorical female figures, animals, and floral motifs. Traditionally used to hold clothes for christening ceremonies, such baskets were more commemorative than functional and often featured scenes of marriage or betrothal. This example was exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

A remarkable collection of seven photograph albums from American socialite and heiress Barbara Hutton will also be auctioned. Featuring intimate images of Hutton’s life, including her marriage to Cary Grant, the albums are estimated at £2,000-£3,000.

The sale includes over 120 lots of fine wine and Champagne, led by six bottles of 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac, Bordeaux). In accordance with the tradition established by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of commissioning label designs for the Grand Cru of Château Mouton Rothschild, the label for the 1982 vintage bears a design by the American John Huston, an Academy-award winning Hollywood director of films such as The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).

Further highlights include a Flemish mythological tapestry from the late 17th century depicting Diana and her hunters, a modern Louis Vuitton monogram canvas wardrobe trunk, and a first edition of Beau Brummell by Virginia Woolf.

“We are delighted to share the March Fine & Decorative auction with our clients. It is foregrounded by objects of aesthetic significance, spanning centuries and continents. From the true connoisseurship on display in the Morley-Fletcher collection, to an expertly curated wine section, the sale contains valuable investments for a variety of discerning collectors”

Jack Wallis,  Specialist and Head of Sale for Fine & Decorative For more information, please visit www.roseberys.co.uk

About Roseberys

Operating in London for more than 30 years, Roseberys Fine Art Auctioneers is a privately owned specialist fine art and antiques auction house and valuers, located in the heart of South London.

The team of world renowned experts and consultants offer both buyers and sellers a range of specialist art market services and a calendar of over 30 specialist auctions a year covering all areas of Asian Arts, Islamic & Indian Art, Jewellery & Watches, Old Master, 18th & 19th Century Art, Modern British & Contemporary British Art, Urban & Contemporary Prints & Multiples, 20th Century Art & Design, Impressionist, Modern, Post War & Contemporary Art and Decorative Arts, Fine & Decorative sales including Silver, Ceramics, Works of Art and Furniture.

In addition to hosting over 30 specialist auctions annually, Roseberys offers single-owner collection sales. Recent highlights include the Mary & Alan Hobart Collection (founders of Pyms Gallery), an Important Private Collection of Chinese Imperial Porcelain and The George Farrow Collection.