A very special cup and saucer in 'Bleu de Sèvres' dark blue with a hand enamelled coat of arms of Joan of Arc as well as fleur de lys symbols, accented in gold.
 
Bleu de Sèvres is a traditional technique, perfected in 1756 which enjoyed a renaissance in the Napoleon III era in the 19th century. It is created by firing a glaze of cobalt oxide, three coats are applied by hand by tapping with a flat badger hair brush and then firing in a very hot kiln. The cost of making this cobalt blue and the length of manufacture made it desirable as a luxury product.
 
On the base is the Luneville stamp, dating it to the late 19th century.
 
There is a small hairline in the cup and a small piece of the enamelling on one of the white fleur de lys.
 
The saucer is just under 6" diameter and the cup just under 2" high.