The vases, which date from 1773-7 and have painters’ marks for Chappuis for the bird decoration, Tandart for the flowers and Vincent as gilder, were spotted on the Woollahra stand by Versailles director Christian Baulez but had already been reserved by a collector.
As things transpired, the collector did not take up the option and they have subsequently been bought by Versailles.
“They originally belonged to the Comtesse du Barry therefore in one sense they have gone home,” said Robert Jones, who added: “For us it is very satisfying to sell them to the most famous château in the world.”
Vases head for Versailles…
A successful sale isn’t always an instant transaction and one of the more notable features of exhibiting at a fair is follow-on business. This can often take some time to materialise but is nonetheless satisfying, especially when it produces a particularly pleasing conclusion, as was the case with this pair of 18th century Sèvres vases à compartiments, pictured right, which London dealer Robert Compton-Jones of the Woollahra Trading Co. took to the Paris Biennale last September.
