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A Life in Ceramics

The Peter and Mary White Collection
1 December 2025 | starting at 13:00 GMT

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"The White Collection vividly reveals the dialogue between Asian craftsmanship and European imagination."
- Professor Christiaan Jörg

Bonhams are honoured to present A Life in Ceramics: The Peter and Mary White Collection. Over more than thirty years, Peter and Mary have brought together a remarkable collection which includes ceramics from around the world and reflects their fascination with how the medium transcends cultures. In this inaugural live sale, we trace how Chinese, Japanese, European and British potters influenced one another and their markets.

For a foreword to the auction from Mary White herself and an essay by leading scholar Christiaan Jörg, please see the pdf catalogue.

Mary White will be in conversation with Anna Burnside and Sebastian Kuhn, 30 November 2025, at 101 New Bond Street. Please join us from 3pm, the talk will begin promptly at 3.30pm.
RSVP: leni.howard@bonhams.com

This Live auction follows an Online sale of Chinese ceramics from the collection, ending 10 November.

Please note that condition is not specified in the catalogue descriptions for this auction. Please get in touch for condition reports.

Auction highlights

Lot gallery

210 lots available

A Chelsea white bust of William, Duke of Cumberland, circa 1750

Bonnie Prince Charlie: A significant Longton Hall Jacobite mug, circa 1758-60

A good Worcester mug, circa 1758-60

A Worcester Masonic mug, circa 1770

A documentary Worcester mug, dated 1766

General James Wolfe: a Worcester mug, circa 1760

A Vincennes/Sèvres blue-ground tea canister and cover (boîte à thé), circa 1756-57

A Sèvres bleu-lapis pomade pot and cover (pot à pommade), dated 1765

A Sèvres blue-ground cup and saucer (gobelet bouillard et soucoupe), dated 1765

A Sèvres cup and saucer (gobelet litron et soucoupe), dated 1770

A Saint-Cloud white pot-pourri vase and a cover, circa 1740

A Sèvres 'rose marbré' ground cup, cover and saucer (gobelet 'litron' et soucoupe), dated 1762

A Sèvres teapot and cover (théière 'Calabre'), circa 1769

A Sèvres hard-paste pink-ground cup and saucer (gobelet enfoncé et soucoupe à gaine), dated 1778

A Sèvres small green-ground coffee pot and cover (cafetière), circa 1762

A rare Sèvres hard-paste ewer, circa 1778-80

A Champion's Bristol cup and saucer from the Smith Service, circa 1774-75

A fine Champion's Bristol double-lipped cream jug, circa 1775

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