Roseberys presents its first Fine & Decorative sale of the year, led by the esteemed collection of the late Hugo Morley-Fletcher MA FSA (1940-2022), a distinguished ceramics specialist, former Director of Christie’s, and BBC Antiques Roadshow expert. Further works from the collection are offered in Roseberys’ March Old Master, British & European Pictures sale.

Hugo Morley-Fletcher.

Among the highlights is an exceptional Sèvres porcelain bleu-céleste-ground tobacco jar and cover, dating to circa 1768. The jar features elongated gilt-edged oval medallions bordered by foliate gilding and adorned with floral motifs and maroon bell flowers.  Estimated at £1,800-£2,500, it is the finest piece of Sèvres porcelain in the collection.

Lot 31: A Sèvres porcelain bleu-céleste-ground tobacco-jar and cover (pot à tabac), c.1768.
Estimate: £1,800 - £2,500

Also featured is a Meissen porcelain lobed dessert plate, illustrated in Morley-Fletcher’s Meissen Porcelain in Colour (London, 1979). Dating to circa 1735, it is painted with chinoiserie figures on a seashore and is of the 'Earl of Jersey type,' associated with the Villiers family, the Earls of Jersey. Estimated at £1,500-£2,000, this plate represents the exquisite craftsmanship inherent in Meissen porcelain.

Lot 2: A Meissen porcelain lobed dessert-plate of Earl of Jersey type, c.1735.
Estimate: £1,500 - £2,000

Beyond the Morley-Fletcher collection, a rare 17th-century Charles II beadwork basket is expected to attract significant attention. Estimated at £3,000-£5,000, the basket, worked in coloured beads on wooden boards, depicts allegorical female figures, animals, and floral motifs. Traditionally used to hold clothes for christening ceremonies, such baskets were more commemorative than functional and often featured scenes of marriage or betrothal. This example was exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.

Lot 144: A Charles II beadwork basket, c.1660, worked in coloured beads mounted on wood boards
Estimate: £3,000 - £5,000

A remarkable collection of seven photograph albums from American socialite and heiress Barbara Hutton will also be auctioned. Featuring intimate images of Hutton’s life, including her marriage to Cary Grant, the albums are estimated at £2,000-£3,000.

Lot 191: Barbara Hutton, American, 1912-1979, a group of seven photograph albums, 1920's-40s. Pictured: Barbara with husband, Cary Grant.
Estimate: £2,000 - £3,000

The sale includes over 120 lots of fine wine and Champagne, led by six bottles of 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild (Pauillac, Bordeaux). In accordance with the tradition established by Baron Philippe de Rothschild of commissioning label designs for the Grand Cru of Château Mouton Rothschild, the label for the 1982 vintage bears a design by the American John Huston, an Academy-award winning Hollywood director of films such as The Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948).

Lot 514: 1982 Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, 6 x 75cl (6)
Estimate: £4,000 - £6,000

Further highlights include a Flemish mythological tapestry from the late 17th century depicting Diana and her hunters, a modern Louis Vuitton monogram canvas wardrobe trunk, and a first edition of Beau Brummell by Virginia Woolf.

Lot 199: A modern Louis Vuitton monogrammed canvas wardrobe trunk, c.1990s.
Estimate: £10,000 - £15,000

“We are delighted to share the March Fine & Decorative auction with our clients. It is foregrounded by objects of aesthetic significance, spanning centuries and continents. From the true connoisseurship on display in the Morley-Fletcher collection, to an expertly curated wine section, the sale contains valuable investments for a variety of discerning collectors,” commented Jack Wallis,  Specialist and Head of Sale for Fine & Decorative.