A complete set of 13 Service Visage Noir plates, designed by Picasso, will highlight Christie's online sale of ceramics by the artist on October 15 with an estimate of £40,000-70,000 ($64,212-112,372).
The service was first produced in 1948, and a set was presented to Rita Hayworth at her wedding in 1949. Only 100 were ever made.
 The plates feature stylised depictions of fauns |
Christie's co-heads of sale, Michelle McMullan and Keith Gill, "Picasso ceramics continue to attract significant interest from buyers across the world.
"Picasso always intended his ceramics to be accessible, and the online format of this sale will provide an opportunity for a greater audience to enjoy these playful and beautiful objects.
"The Service Visage Noir, one of the rarest lots in the sale, is likely to generate a great deal of interest, as there were only 100 editions ever produced and very few sets remain intact having been split and sold separately during the 80s and 90s.
"The quality and colouring of the decoration and the stamps on this particular set show it to be one of the earliest in the edition and it has been in a private collection for more than 20 years.
McMullan and Gill went on to say that the sale followed on from strong results in the recent impressionist and modern art and Picasso ceramics sales, and that the market for ceramics by the artist was growing significantly.
Earlier this year, a record was set at Christie's when Grand vase aux femmes voilees achieved £980,275 ($1.1m) at the sale of the Madoura Collection of Picasso ceramics.
We have this postcard for sale, autographed by Picasso.
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