Antique 4-Piece Porcelain Coffee & Tea Service - French Empire Style (Vieux Paris / Old Paris) - Early 19th Century (Over 200 Years Old) Description: An elegant and rare antique French hard-paste white porcelain service with rich gilded decoration, dating from the early 1800s in the Empire style (Vieux Paris / Old Paris). The set is finely decorated with hand-painted gold foliage motifs, palmettes, and neoclassical friezes. A standout feature is the beautifully sculpted zoomorphic spouts on the pots and the flame-shaped finials on the lids. Dimensions & Composition (4 items): 1. Large Pot: height 23 cm (measured excluding the removable lid). Features a high looping handle and an animal-headed spout. 2. Small Teapot: height 15.5 cm (measured excluding the removable lid). Rounded antique shape with a matching figural spout. 3. Lidded Sugar Bowl: in the form of a classical urn on a pedestal foot with applied side handles. 4. Milk / Cream Jug: with a high looping handle and a wide spout. Provenance & History: This service boasts an excellent and verifiable provenance. It was acquired at a European fine art auction in December 2007. The original auction strings and tags (bearing lot number 637) remain attached to the pieces as a testament to their history. For the past two decades, the set has never been used; it has been kept safely as a display-only cabinet piece in a private vitrine. Condition: Considering its exceptional age of over 200 years, the service is in wonderful antique condition. No structural cracks or restorations to the porcelain. There are minor, honest signs of age and wear to the gilding, as well as minor firing irregularities typical of early 19th-century European porcelain. Notable minor flaws include slight, minor chips on the lid of the sugar bowl and on the inner rim of the small teapot (all clearly visible in the photos, they do not affect the stability or the stunning display quality of the set). Please review the high-resolution photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition report.