Note:
Although at first glance the present cup and saucer appear to have identical decoration, close scrutiny reveals the small differences noted in the catalogue entry. Also different are the tooling patterns enclosing the chinoiserie panels, and the style of painting of the trailing vine. If one looks closely, it is possible to discern a very subtle difference in the ground color on the two pieces, that of the saucer being very slightly bluer.

For these reasons, the two pieces have been described as matched. It is not impossible that one was made as a slightly later replacement, or that the two pieces were originally part of a small set, painted by different hands and at some point the cups and saucers mis-matched.

Louis-Antoine Le Grand fils (later père, active 1776-1824), recorded at Sèvres as a painter specializing in figures, chinoiserie, birds and flowers and as a gilder, is likely responsible for the chinoiserie panels on the present lot. Bailly fils (active 1773-1779), recorded at Sèvres as a painter specializing in flowers and chinoiseries and as a gilder, is more likely responsible for the flowers and the gilding.