comprising: circa 1750, saucer with Rattray coat of arms, shield with central white stripe, flanked by stripes, each having three gilt crosses, surmounted with helmet, further surmounted with fist holding gilt cross, motto above "Ex hoc victoria signo", scrolling gilt border, 4-1/2 in.; circa 1731, small plate with Yonge coat of arms, centered with circle with white ground and black motif, center black stripe with three gilt griffin heads, surrounded by the ribbon of the Order of Bath "Tria juncta in Uno", flanked by a boar and griffin, the whole surmounted with a boar's head crest, all above motto "Laudat qui invidet", gilt and foliate borders, rim with boar's head crest, 6-1/8 in.

Note: Rattray: "The senior branch was of Craighall since about 1554, and of those for whom this service may have been made was Dr. Thomas Rattray of Craighall, who died in 1743 and had two sons, James of Craighall, who succeeded him, and John, an eminent surgeon of Edinburgh, who married twice and had a number of children. The service may have been ordered for him by his nephew, Hugh Clerk in the East India Company service.

A distant relative was James Rattray, son of Sir Rullion Rattray of Runnygullion, and one of the last to flee the field at Culloden; but he was captured and tried in London, being saved by a mysterious witness at his trial, who swore that he had seen James forcibly handcuffed in the rebel army. After his unexpected acquittal the witness was never seen again, nor did James Rattray ever know his benefactor."

Chinese Armorial Porcelain Volume I, David S. Howard, Faber & Faber, 31 May 1974, p. 365.

Yonge: "Sir William Yonge, 4th Baronet of Colyton, Devon, was the son of Sir Walter Yonge and great-grandson of Sir John, created a baronet in September 1661. He married firstly Mary, daughter of Samuel Heathcote of Hackney, but from her was divorced and married secondly in 1729 the Hon. Anne Howard, daughter and coheir of Thomas, 6th Lord of Effingham.

This service, characterized by grass green enamel on supporter and crest, clearly acted as the pattern for another made in 1731 when he had inherited the baronetcy. This is one of the two earliest services copied from a bookplate."

Chinese Armorial Porcelain Volume I, David S. Howard, Faber & Faber, 31 May 1974, p. 209.

Provenance: Rattray saucer Heirloom & Howard, Ltd., UK, June 2002; Yonge plate Northeast Auctions, New Hampshire, August 2007; Christopher M. Weld, Essex, Massachusetts

Rattray saucer: mild scratching, labels to base, wear to paint and gilt decoration, minor chipping to foot ring, blacklight fluoresces and reveals restored hairlines to rim approximately 1 x 2 in.; Yonge small plate: discoloration, spotting, anomalies (as made), wear to paint and gilt decoration, labels to base, minor chipping to foot ring, blacklight fluoresces to rim suggesting restorations and in-painting