Painted in the classic pattern with various birds and pearl necklaces in branches and among scattered insects, within ozier borders and shaped gilt line rims, comprising:

An oval tureen and cover
Two vegetable dishes and covers with either bird or rose form knops
A square serving bowl
A large oval two-handled platter
A smaller oval two-handled platter
A triangular vegetable bowl
An hors-d'oeuvres set comprising a round tray, five wedge-form dishes and a central bowl
Five soup cups and stands
Twelve dinner plates with scalloped borders
Five dinner plates with wavy borders
Four luncheon plates
Five dessert plates
Three salad plates
Ten crescent-shaped salad dishes
Ten bread plates with scalloped borders
Fourteen bread plates with wavy borders
Twelve fruit bowls
A small teapot and cover
A small coffee-pot and cover
A cream-jug
A small individual creamer
A sugar-bowl and cover
Seven teacups and saucers, with wavy flaring rims and footed bases
Eleven teacups and fifteen saucers, with flat bases and wavy rims
Five 'Canton' cups and six saucers
Ten pots de crème and covers
Four oatmeal bowls
A muffin dish and cover
A butter dish and cover
A sugar caster
A jam jar and cover on fixed stand
A bonbonnière and cover with yellow ribbon ornament
Two large double egg cups
Eight butter pats
A basket-shaped salt cellar
Seven egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers
A toothpick holder
A leaf-shaped box and cover
17³⁄₄ in. (45.1 cm.) long overall, the larger platter

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Lot Essay

Historically one of the most popular services created by Herend, the Rothschild Bird pattern was first crafted by the Hungarian manufactory in 1850. Members of the prominent Rothschild family were important customers and patrons of Herend at the time. As the story goes, Baroness Rothschild one day lost a pearl necklace at her residence in Vienna. The next day, her gardener apparently found it in the beak of bird, playing with it in a tree. As such, the service playfully depicts a variety of birds and insects among foliage, often with a necklace seen tucked among the branches. The darling motif has remained popular to the present, and in 1981, Lady Diana Spencer purportedly chose the pattern for her wedding china.

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Condition report

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The condition of lots can vary widely and the nature of the lots sold means that they are unlikely to be in a perfect condition. Lots are sold in the condition they are in at the time of sale.

Most pieces in overall good condition; scattered minor wear to enamels and gilding; the service was assembled at different times; sizes and further conditions enumerated below:

An oval tureen and cover-- 8⁷⁄₈ in. (22.5 cm.) high, 13 in. (33 cm.) wide overall, 8¹⁄₄ in. (21 cm.) deep
Two vegetable dishes and covers with either bird- or rose-form knops-- 11³⁄₄ in. (29.8 cm.) wide overall, 5¹⁄₂ in. (14 cm.) high; a small chip to lower petal at one handle-mount
A square serving bowl-- 3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm) high, 10 in. (25.4 cm.) square; moderate scratches and some losses to central motif
A large oval two-handled platter-- 17³⁄₄ in. (45.1 cm.) long overall, 12¹⁄₄ in. (31.1 cm.) wide; moderate marks to foot rim, some scratches to decoration, including at central motif
A smaller oval two-handled platter-- 15⁵⁄₈ in. (39.7 cm.) long overall, 10³⁄₄ in. (27.3 cm.) wide; moderate marks to foot rim
A triangular vegetable bowl-- 2 in. (5.1 cm.) high, 10¹⁄₂ in. (26 cm.) wide, 9¹⁄₂ in. (24.1 cm.) deep; a chip at the inner rim, issuing a hairline crack down the interior wall
An hors-d'oeuvres set comprising a round tray, five wedge-form dishes and a central bowl-- 14¹⁄₄ in. (36.2 cm.) diameter, the tray; 8¹⁄₄ in. (21 cm.) long, the dishes; 4³⁄₄ in. (12.1 cm.) diameter, the bowl; minor discoloration at foot rim, the tray
Five soup cups and stands-- 2¹⁄₄ in. (5.7 cm.) high, 4¹⁄₂ in. (11.4 cm.) diameter, the soup cups; 6¹⁄₈ in. (15.6 cm.) diameter, the stands; one soup cup with faint hairline crack to side
Twelve dinner plates with scalloped borders-- 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter; light scratches to gilding and wells, including at central motifs, one with 3/4-in. chip at rim
Five dinner plates with wavy borders-- 11 in. (27.9 cm.) diameter
Four luncheon plates-- 8⁷⁄₈ in. (22.5 cm.); one plate with moderate crazing at underside
Five dessert plates-- 8¹⁄₈ in. (20.6 cm.)
Three salad plates-- 8¹⁄₈ in. (20.6 cm.)
Ten crescent-shaped salad dishes-- 8¹⁄₄ in. (21 cm.) long, 5¹⁄₂ in. (14 cm.) wide; one plate with repaired break to long axis
Ten bread plates with scalloped borders-- 6¹⁄₂ in. (16.5 cm.) diameter
Fourteen bread plates with wavy borders-- 6 in. (15.2 cm.) diameter
Twelve fruit bowls-- 5⁵⁄₈ in. (14.3 cm.) diameter; one bowl with chip to underside of rim
A small teapot and cover-- 4¹⁄₈ in. (10.5 cm.) high, 6¹⁄₂ in. (16.5 cm.) wide overall, 3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm.) deep; a repaired break to the cover, a few small chips to the knop
A small coffee-pot and cover-- 6 in. (15.2 cm.) high, 5 in. (12.7 cm.) wide overall, 3 in. (7.6 cm.) deep
A cream-jug-- 4¹⁄₈ in. (10.5 cm.) high, 5¹⁄₂ in. (14 cm.) wide overall, 3¹⁄₂ in. (8.9 cm.) deep
A small individual creamer-- 2¹⁄₄ in. (5.7 cm.) high, 3¹⁄₈ in. (7.9 cm.) wide overall, 2 in. (5.1 cm.) deep
A sugar-bowl and cover-- 4 in. (10.2 cm.) high, 4¹⁄₄ in. (10.8 cm.) diameter; a few small chips to rose knop, the side with an L-shaped hairline crack
Seven teacups and saucers, with wavy flaring rims and footed bases-- 2 in. (5.1 cm.) high, 4¹⁄₄ in. (10.8 cm.) diameter, the teacups; 5³⁄₄ in. (14.6 cm.) diameter, the saucers
Eleven teacups and fifteen saucers, with flat bases and wavy rims-- 2¹⁄₈ in. (5.4 cm.) high, 3¹⁄₂ in. (8.9 cm.) diameter, the teacups; 5³⁄₈ in. (13.7 cm.) diameter, the saucers; two cups each with a single old hairline crack to side, one cup with two old hairlines at side and another cup with a star-form cluster of hairlines at interior side, one saucer with a hairline crack to the rim
Five 'Canton' cups and six saucers-- 2¹⁄₈ in. (5.4 cm.) high, 3¹⁄₂ in. (8.9 cm.) diameter, the cups; 5³⁄₈ in. (13.7 cm.) diameter, the saucers
Ten pots de crème and covers-- 3¹⁄₈ in. (7.9 cm.) high, 3¹⁄₈ in. (7.9 cm.) diameter
Four oatmeal bowls-- 1³⁄₄ in. (4.4 cm.) high, 6¹⁄₂ in. (16.5 cm.) diameter
A muffin dish and cover-- 3¹⁄₂ in. (8.9 cm.) high overall, 7³⁄₄ in. (19.7 cm.) diameter; a tiny chip to the rose-shaped knop
A butter dish and cover-- 4¹⁄₂ in. (11.4 cm.) high, 7¹⁄₂ in. (19.1 cm.) diameter
A sugar caster-- 4⁷⁄₈ in. (13.4 cm.) high, 2⁵⁄₈ in. (6.7 cm.) diameter
A jam jar and cover on fixed stand-- 4¹⁄₈ in. (10.5 cm.) high, 6 in. (15.2 cm.) diameter
A bonbonnière and cover with yellow ribbon ornament-- 3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm.) high, 5¹⁄₂ in. (14 cm.) wide overall, 3⁵⁄₈ in. (9.2 cm.) deep
Two large double egg cups-- 3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm.) high, 2¹⁄₂ in. (6.4 cm.) diameter
Eight butter pats-- 3⁵⁄₈ in. (9.2 cm.) diameter
A basket-shaped salt cellar-- 1³⁄₄ in. (4.4 cm.) high, 3 in. (7.6 cm.) wide, 1³⁄₄ in. (4.4 cm.) high
A toothpick holder-- 2 in. (5.1 cm.) high, 1¹⁄₂ in. (3.8 cm.) diameter
A leaf-shaped box and cover-- 3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm.) high, 4¹⁄₂ in. (11.4 cm.) wide, 3³⁄₄ in. (9.5 cm.) deep;
Seven egg-shaped salt and pepper shakers-- 2 in. (5.1 cm.) high, 1³⁄₄ in. (4.4 cm.) diameter-- one pepper shaker with repaired break at base

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