A miniature dining set designed for Queen Mary’s dolls’ house could fetch £30,000 at auction.
The royal dolls’ house featured working electricity, flushing loos and even silver bath taps complete with running water.
The 70-piece set – including serving dishes, tureens, bowls, dinner plates, side plates and platters – is expected to fetch £30,000 at Sotheby’s next month.
An architect was commissioned to create the large dolls’ house for Windsor Palace in the 1920s.
Tiny objects made for inside what has been described as the “most famous dolls’ house in the world” were built by 1,500 artists and craftsmen.
They include a library with versions of real books, a wine cellar containing actual wines and spirits in tiny bottles, a gramophone playing the national anthem and a miniature Rolls-Royce sat in the garage.
The dinner set, which is one twelfth of the normal size, was made by tableware store Thomas Goode & Co, which still has royal warrants with the Queen and the Prince of Wales.
It was asked to create two miniature china dinner services, one for the dolls’ scullery and the other for the main dining room.
Thomas Goode & Co made one copy of every commissioned piece for their own archives and it is the replica of the dinner set which is going on sale.
It will be accompanied by a handwritten letter from Queen Mary, dating from 1924, which will be included in the sale.
“It is with the greatest pleasure that I say ‘thank you’ to all the very kind people who have helped to make the dolls’ house the most perfect present that anyone could receive,” the letter says.
A letter from the royal household also thanks the company for the product.
“I am to convey to you the Queen’s grateful and sincere thanks for the beautiful miniature dinner service for the dolls’ house which has arrived safely,” the letter states.
“Her Majesty greatly admires the very careful and minute work which has been put into this charming little service, and I need not tell you how keenly the Queen appreciates your very kind thought, and all the trouble which has resulted in the production of this unique specimen service.”
The company is selling some of its pieces while renovating its flagship Mayfair store.
Online bidding dates takes place between December 22 and January 8 at Sotheby’s.
