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French sterling silver set of a beaker and matching napkin ring, decorated with an engine turned pattern, featuring grapevine with grapes. Both pieces are inscribed "Genevieve". c. 1900.

This marvelous set measures: beaker is 1 7/8" in bottom diameter, 2 5/8" in top diameter and 3 1/8" tall; napkin ring is 1 1/2" wide and 2" in diameter. Total weight is 120.3 grams or 3.88 ozs Troy.

The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing.

The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

 

French Provincial, Lyon, 950 standard silver covered sugar, jam or sweet meat bowl, 1813 - 1830, maker′s mark: FC over S for François Cécil Soccard. It also has an unknown to us Stag Head mark, very similar to the discharge mark used in Nantes during the mid 18th C. This most unusual oval pedestal serving bowl has the usual array of marks on the lid, body and base, plus the unusual aforementioned Stag head mark and another unknown script mark on the inner rim of the lid: EST. The mark is next to a Lyon Grosse Garantie mark. The body has a 1st Standard Provincial assay mark, with another Provincial Garantie mark on the cut work of the base along with yet another unknown mark of a square cross with intersecting rays. The lid and underside of the base have buriladas or vous ciselé marks taken by the assayer. The makers′ mark is struck under the base, inside the bowl and on the underside of the lid. The handles are in the forms of winged, footed serpents and the oval body has drapery on the rim and on a central band. The base has a cut work riser and conforming drapery on the lower rim, sitting on four ball feet. The lid has a domed leaf form handle. Weighing 449 grams or 14.4 ozs. Troy, this especially attractive and desirable bowl is 8 3/8" across the handles, 7 3/8" tall, 5 3/4" long, 4 3/8" wide and 3 1/2" deep. The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no monograms, removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French 950 sterling silver napkin ring by Louis Ravinet and Charles Denfert, 83 reu de Temple, Paris, c.1900. This large, impressive ornate napkin ring has Repousse floral, scroll and shell decorations surrounding a shell and scroll cartouche containing an ornate, period script monogram:TE. Weighing 33 grams, this desirable napkin ring is 2 1/8" in diameter and 1 1/2" tall. Monogrammed as described above, the soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear detail, with no removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French 950 sterling silver figural open salts. c.1819 - 1838 having all the proper marks, including the silver guarantee, assay, and bigorne marks. The bigorne mark is opposite of the assay mark. The maker′s mark, a very distinctive C A with a rampant lion in between and a star above, could not be identified. each of these very special open salts has 3 harp playing cherubs riding lions on foliate ground with an upper band of pierced top grape bunches. The rims have spade and dart decorations and the glass inserts, although likely replacements. fit and work well. Each salt dish is 3" in diameter, 2 1/4" tall and the pair weigh a total of 118 grams or 3.8 ozs. Troy. The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no monograms, removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French 950 sterling silver and cut crystal Drageoir (a box for sweets) or Confiturier (Jam container) by Etienne-Auguste Courtois, 62 Rue du Temple, Paris, now in the Marais District. Courtois, a Master Silversmith, who specialized in Partie de Table or important pieces for table decoration, worked from 1834 - 1848, and, as the fineness mark is that used from 1819 - 1838, the piece can be dated 1834 - 1838. The fineness mark, guarantee mark and maker′s mark are on the body and the lid. Even the retaining nut for the lid handle is original. The body of the Drageoir is supported by four panels of winged shell, scroll and acanthus leaf designs, showing off the insert to good effect. The square base has a Gadroon and shell border and sits on four stylized shell caped ball feet, supporting a round, collared pedestal embossed with spear and dart decorations. The lid, which fits the crystal insert properly, has a shell supported ball handle mounted atop a n embossed, alternating leaf and floral cap. The cut crystal insert has lobed panel decorations, the slightest hint of blue color and is free of any chips, flakes or cracks. The fancy scroll and shell add the finishing touches to this spectacular serving bowl. The silver weight is 369 grams or 11.9 ozs, with the crystal insert weighing 303 grams. The bowl is 9 1/2" tall, 7 1/8" across the handles, 4 1/2" in diameter a,d 3 5/8" square at its feet. The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no monograms, removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

This listing has fallen prey to the first sign of confusion - too many pictures. We don′t really know of the origin of this beautiful and mysterious set, but, beautiful and mysterious is always good, if not frequently great. All three pieces, actually four, have Austrian Import marks used from 1901 - 1922, as the lid of the sugar bowl and the bowl, creamer and pot are marked. The pot, bowl and creamer all have a British looking Lion Passant and an odd, almost double struck left facing female(?) head, all struck in the same places on the bodies, just under the handles. There is no way that this set is British, with no town or date mark, and the head mark is nothing like any of the British Duty marks, not to mention the style being very un-British. Also, the shape of the frame for the Lion mark is unlike any used for any period in Britain. Our best guess is that this extraordinary set is Canadian, c. 1790 - 1820. The Lion passant would make sense and the definite French Empire style of the set would make a good fit to a period Quebec Maker still keeping pace with his French heritage. Whatever the origin of the set, it is certainly 1st Empire Period and of excellent quality throughout. All the pieces have lobed lower bodies rising from oval, stepped pedestals, bands of chased and engraved decorations near the tops of their urn form bodies, Acanthus leaf double collared sockets for their period ivory handles and each sits on a rectangular open work gadroon border base with four hoofed feet. The pot has a side hinged, Acanthus leaf draped and Pomegranate finial, with the sugar bowl having a matching, removable lid. The pot is 10 " tall, 8" from handle to spout and weighs 596 grams. The sugar bowl is 7" tall, 6 1/4" across the handles and weighs 321 grams. The creamer is 6 1/2" tall, 5 1/2" handle to spout and weighs 215 grams. The set weighs a total of 1132 grams or 36.4 ozs. Troy. The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no monograms, removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French 950 sterling silver pair of napkin rings with beaded boarders, made by Louis Ravinet & Charles Denfert 1895. These handsome napkin rings are 2" in diameter, 1" tall and weigh a total of 96 grams 3.1 ozs Troy. The excellent original condition and clear, crisp detail, one of the napkin rings is monogrammed P, the other is monogrammed R in an ornate period script, no removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French sterling silver barrel shaped napkin ring Bardies Faure & Co, Paris 1910. This handsome napkin ring measures 2" in diameter, 1 3/8" tall and weighs 37 grams or 1.2 ozs Troy. Monogrammed MB, the soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear detail, with no removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French 950 standard sterling silver First Empire double salt dips and stand by N.C.R Houzet of Paris France, who worked from 1812 - 1813. This important Napoleonic salt stand has a double lion, Rosette and stylized flame finial handle rising from two griffins sitting on an oval gadroon base. The large base has a reeded border and sits on four ball feet and is inscribed J. Center in period script. The cobalt glass lined, cut work frames have wide, collared reeded top, middle and bottom borders and are marked with the guarantee marks and the 950 fineness marks for 1809 - 1819. The underside of the base has the maker′s mark, the Rooster number 1 mark and the script mark of the maker Houzet. This extraordinary double salt is 7 1/8" tall, 6 3/4" long, 3 7/8" wide and it weighs 448 grams or 14.4 ozs. Troy, silver weight only. The original attachment nuts for the frames and the handle are present and the pieces are removable for cleaning. Inscribed as described above, the soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear detail, with no removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

French 1st standard 950 sterling silver large baroque napkin ring by Victor Dudiez of Paris, c.1880 - 1890. This elegant napkin ring comes with its presentation box and has a large floral, foliate and scroll bordered cartouche surrounded by large swirling flutes. The cartouche contains a fancy period monogram A over E. Weighing 47 grams 1.5 ozs. Troy, this impressive napkin ring is 2 1/8" in diameter and a little over 1 1/2" tall. Monogrammed as described above, the soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing. The excellent original condition and clear detail, with no removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering.

Handwrought sterling silver beaker, made in Paris by Louis-Jacques Berger, c. 1798. It is rare to find a two hundred and ten year old beaker in such remarkable condition. It features a lovely tapered form, handsome repousse pedestal base and attactive decorative borders. It measures 4 1/4" tall, 3 3/8" in diameterand weighs 103 grams or 3.3 ozs Troy. The exceptional original condition and clear, crisp detail, with no monograms, removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering. The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing.

Three substantial and majestic sterling silver plates made in France during the Louis the XV period, c. 1736. They are heavy, handwrought and feature a classical crown and coat of arms motif on an elegant European style border. Measuring 10 3/4" in diameter, they weigh a massive 1808 grams or 58.1 Troy ounces. The excellent original condition and crisp detail, with no monograms, removals, repairs or alterations, make this an especially attractive offering. The soft, warm, original finish is present, with no buffing or machine polishing