A Pair of Porcelain Famille-Rose Phoenix Cups Wide: 9cm High: 6.5cmThe cup has deep upright sides flaring slightly at the rim, and is raised on a tall foot. The exterior is painted with phoenix. Collection from Gosford Castle, Northern Ireland The collection of Mr. Walter Thomas Gaze Cooper (1895-1981) Gosford Castle was built for the second Earl of Gosford. It is located in Gosford, a small town in Market Hill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In 1920, the fourth Earl of Gosford was forced to sell the estate in its entirety. After his death in 1922, the castle was no longer occupied by the Atchison family.During World War II, Gosford Castle was used to house troops and a prison camp was set up on the estate.After the war, the Atchison family sold the estate to the Department of Agriculture. Walter Thomas Gaze Cooper (England, 1895-1981) was a musician, composer and collector.His collection is considered to be one of the most valuable Chinese antiques in Britain.During the war of 1914-1918, he served as an army driver in France, was disabled by poison gas, and briefly entered the civil service.His leisure activities included collecting old furniture and Chinese, Greek and Egyptian art.His collection of oriental antiques has been praised as one of the most valuable antiques in Britain.In 1951, the Nottingham Daily News published a photograph of him holding a Chinese statue of Quan Yin Tang. The auction item from Walter Thomas Gaze Cooper's old collection is provided by a private collector in Britain. The item retains the label of Gosford Castle, Northern Ireland and the private collection label of Walter Thomas Gaze Cooper.