An auction not to be missed

I've been notified by a friend (painter Don Rankin) that an interesting auction is coming up at Christie's in New York in May.  Among other things, it offers 67 dinner services, collected over the years by Peggy and David Rockefeller (Standard Oil) who died recently, aged 105.

Life-style commentators claim that the dinner service is back!  We're ditching the "catering look", ditching the white for a mix and match approach.  Apparently the Rockefellers used different services over the course of a meal - and they had much to choose from - and David offered that if conversation lagged, one could always talk about the plates!  (So get to it and trawl the bric à brac sales, St. Vincent de Paul's and the Salvos!) 

Not sure of the maker of the yellow one above and I might sell on the urns.  The red service below left, was made for Napoleon I by Sèvres.  He took it with him in exile to Elba so it stood up to the travel well enough (and helped make him feel at home, no doubt).  The botanical service is by Worcester. 

This is expected to be the biggest single sale in history, expected  to reach over $650 million (Aust.)  with sales all going to charity.  It is expected to surpass the previous auction of the Yves St Laurent and Pierre  Bergé collection ($600 million), part of which went towards AIDS research.

Hope this inspires you to dig out that service in the back of the cupboard.  But damn it - I'm busy on 7th May.

Comments or suggestions below...