The online sale of pieces from the archives of the Mayfair emporium closed on the morning of January 8.
One of the key attractions at Windsor Castle, the Queen Mary doll’s house was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1922 with the input of more than 1500 artists, craftsmen and royal warrant holders.
It includes 600 miniature books, 774 replica artworks, a cellar complete with real wine and spirits, flushing toilets, a gramophone playing the national anthem and a garage with a Rolls-Royce.
As the holder of two royal warrants, Thomas Goode & Co was requested to create miniature white and gilt porcelain tablewares for ‘use’ in the State Dining Room, The Nursery and The Kitchen. Each of the 76 pieces, made one-twelfth of their normal size, have the crowned cypher MR, with those for the kitchen marked K and those for the nursery with N.
One of the pieces of the miniature Royal Doulton dinner service commissioned in 1922 for Queen Mary’s doll’s house.
One complete service still resides in Windsor, but (as with every commission) Thomas Goode kept a copy for its own archives.
This lot – in a display case that measures 22in (55cm) across – was accompanied by a facsimile of a letter from Queen Mary.
It read: “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 Thomas Goode archive, much of it stored unseen in the attic and vaults, came for sale as the firm’s building in South Audley Street is to be restored and refurbished.
The firm says the funds raised from 99 lots (including 40 dinner and tea services) will be “re-invested and used in part to restore and digitise the archive and library”.
