CHARLES BOYTON II, A 19TH CENTURY VICTORIAN SILVER CREAM JUG & SUGAR BOWL, HALLMARKED LONDON, 1886, TOGETHER WITH A VICTORIAN SILVER SAUCE BOAT, HALLMARKED GEORGE NATHAN & RIDLEY HAYES, BIRMINGHAM, 1894 Cream jug & sugar bowl both having chased and repousse flute and scroll decoration, chased leaf and star bands, crimpled upper edges, fronts having empty oval cartouches, sauce boat having acanthus leaf thumb grip handle, raised upon three stepped spade feet. (sauce boat h 10.8cm x w 16.5cm x d 9.9cm, 338.7g)

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.