Dessert plates commissioned for Prince Napoleon's mistress in 1850s sold to French bidder at Grantham auction

Six dessert plates from 19th century France will return to their country of origin after they went under the hammer.

At Golding Young Grantham earlier today (Wednesday), six Sevres Etruscan red ground hard paste porcelain dessert plates sold at auction to a French bidder.

Commissioned for Prince Napoleon's mistress Rachel Félix in the 1850s, each plate is decorated with a variety of classical still life and figural subjects, within stylised gilt anthemion leaf and scroll borders.

They also feature the Napoleon crowned 'N' mark in iron red, which is 24cm diameter.

Earlier this morning, three telephone and online bidders battled for the plates, with an opening bid from China of £30,000, eventually rising to £36,000 from a French bidder by telephone.

The plates were consigned from a property clearance of a deceased estate in Leicestershire. The family did not know the origins of the plate, other than saying they were likely to have been acquired during tours of Europe in the early 1900s.

A note from the auctioneer said: "Prince Napoleon's mistress was the tragic actress Mademoiselle Rachel (Rachel Félix, 1828-58), and it is thought that a service was commissioned and used in her salle à manger pompéienne in the 'Pompeian' house that the Prince had built on the east side of the Avenue Montaigne in Paris.

"Six painters are recorded as working on the service and some of the subjects depicted were adapted from engravings in Antichità d'Ercolano. The dessert-service is described in the factory archives as 'fd. rouge décor étrusque' and was delivered on 18th October 1856

"It included 72 assiettes priced at 76 francs."