A Sèvres coffee can and saucer (gobelet litron et soucoupe) c.1780-85, decorated by Etienne Charles Le Guay, the cup with an oval panel in puce camaieu depicting the death of Cleopatra, the Classical maiden swooning in a chair beside a basket of fruit in which lurks the poison asp, within a gilt border, reserved on a bleu nouveau ground with gilt columns and flower swags between scroll borders, the saucer with a puce camaieu vignette of instruments, trophies and flowers within a gilt leaf border, the rim with gilt flower garlands and S scrolls on a bleu nouveau ground, puce interlaced Ls marks and blue LG painter's marks, a section of the saucer broken and restuck, 14.3cm. (2) Provenance: purchased from E & H Manners, July 1988. A near identical painting of Cleopatra is on an egg cup in the Louis XVI service at Buckingham Palace, painted in 1785. Le Guay is recorded as an artist on the Louis XVI service. See also, Victoria and Albert Museum, Accession No. 3615-1856 for a can and saucer from the same service, depicting the Rape of Proserpine.