Literature

Each piece with the factory mark in blue enclosing the date letters AA for 1778. The cup with the painter's mark FB for François-Marie Barrat ONCLE (active at Sèvres 1769-91 & 1795-96).

This cup and saucer is one of 48 examples of this size and shape supplied with Empress Catherine the Great of Russia's lavish 'Cameo Service' delivered in 1779. Each cup and saucer of this size cost 195 livres and 34 of the cups and 38 of the saucers are still in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg [catalogue nos. cups 350-384 & saucers 384-422].

The Cameo Service has been described in detail by many authors most importantly Rosalind Savill, Isabella Savill, David Peters, Nina Birioukova & Natalia Kazakevitch and Rebecca Shaw.