A fine Meissen octagonal plate from the Christie-Miller service c.1740

A fine Meissen octagonal plate from the Christie-Miller service c.1740, the well finely painted with a scene of figures standing at the quayside before an Italian palace, a ship being loaded behind, the cavetto with four shaped panels of figures in landscapes in purpurmalerei reserved on a gilt diaper band, the wide rim with similar scenes in polychrome enamels reserved in quatrefoil panels on a wide scrolling foliate gilt and black border, blue crossed swords mark, 24cm.

The scenes depicted on this service are derived from etchings by Melchior Küsel after Johann Wilhelm Baur. The decoration on this plate is largely copied from View of the Palace at Muran of the Count Widman of Ständig, although the statues on top of the building are more akin to those in another print of Venetian palaces; both prints dating from 1681.

A similar plate from the same service is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, accession no. 1976-1855, and was previously in the Bernal Collection. Prior to the sale of the 72 pieces from the Christie-Miller family at Sotheby's in 1970, this was the only other documented plate.