A large circular dish from the Marana Isola service, Ginori factory, mid-eighteenth century

of barbed foliate form, boldly painted with the conjoined arms encircled by insects and flowers within a red-pencilled border of flower lappets and hatched trellis picked out in enamels, the reverse with trailing flowering branches in purple, cracks, some restoration,

Contessa Luisa Guicciardini Strozzi,
Thence by descent

three long, tight cracks; some losses along cracks touched in, rim chips restored; strong 'orange-peel' texture to glaze. For all sales which take place on or after 1 February 2015, please note that the rate of buyer's premium for each lot (charged as a percentage of the hammer price achieved for that lot) has been revised and shall be calculated at the thresholds set out below: Buyer's premium is 25% of the hammer price up to and including £100,000; Buyer's premium is 20% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £100, 000 up to and including £1,800,000; Buyer's premium is 12% of the hammer price on any amount in excess of £1,800,000. As stated above, the revised thresholds are effective as of 1 February 2015.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This celebrated service was made at the command of Count Ginori for his friend the Marchesa Laura Isola Marana and delivered  in 1750. Painters involved in the production of the service clearly included the celebrated Karl Anreiter, and there is clear evidence of the influence of the Du Paquier style from Vienna.

The first part of the service, at least, must have been delivered by 30 October 1750, when the Marchesa mentioned it in a letter, having complained to the Count that she had not yet received it in letters of the 15th August and 22nd August.

However, the typology differs quite markedly between pieces of this service, and replacement pieces, or even a supplementary service, may have been made over the following few years. The addition of battle scenes to this piece is especially unusual.

Many pieces of the service are still in the possession of the Marana-Falconi family, but examples are also to be found as follows:

A coffee pot in the Museo Duca di Martina, Naples (inv.1987)

A tureen in the Museo di Villa Cagnola Gazzada (inv.326)

A dish in the Kunstgewerbe Museum, Cologne (inv.E3711)

Two large dishes in the Museum fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna (inv. Ke6135 and Ke7905)

A dish in the Museum fur Kunsthandwerk, Frankfurt, (inv.6327)

Three dishes in the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (inv.25605 and 25606, 25707) a plate in the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, Paris (inv. D.10824)

Four dishes from the service were sold by Sotheby's Milan from the Questa Collection, 21 March 2005, lots 284 to 287; and another three, 21 December 2005, lots 342-344.