But what made it particularly appealing to bidders at Cheffins was a 19th century letter in the compartment at the base. This gave it a very credible provenance as the pot used by the Venetian portrait artist and miniaturist Rosalba Carriera (1673-1757) who had given it to a pupil.
As with all the entries from the Grahame Collection, the £800-1200 estimate was a nominal one but, even so, the winning £17,000 UK trade buy was way over realistic hopes.
