Absolutely exquisite antique French PUIFORCAT hallmarked sterling silver & cut glass 9 7/8" 20oz claret jug, beautifully ornate with Classical or Empire styling including bows & ribbons, laurel garland, acanthus accents and that stunning intaglio etched or engraved & wheel cut glass or crystal body, most likely Baccarat! Sure seems like it's been a while since we had a great old French sterling silver claret jug so, here you go! Laurel leaves winding up the serpentine handle, laurel garland draped from bow & ribbon ties and encircling the base, acanthus accents with columnar openings along the neck. The body is thick glass or crystal with a beautifully ornate ensemble of wheel etched or engraved foliage! An ornate acorn style finial on the lid and the inside of it and the neck of the bottle are lined in 18k gold on silver "vermeil". All of the separate silver parts bear the French Minerve or Minerva hallmark, the tiny number "1" within those marks means they are in .950 silver (95% pure and higher than the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith marks are for Maison Emile Puiforcat, long lauded as silversmith to royalty and highly sought after offering only the finest.
Founded in Paris in 1820 by Emile Puiforcat and his two cousins. The House of Puiforcat's renown owed to Jean Puiforcat, from the fourth generation of the family, whose efforts resulted in the most beautiful pages of its history almost a century later that would establish the company in the avant-garde of modern silverwork. Driven by his father, louis-Victor Puiforcat, the company began evolving towards the high-end of the silversmithâs trade in the late nineteenth century, recreating eighteenth-century masterpieces from his collection that are now exhibited at the Louvre Museum in Paris. A gorgeous piece here in superb condition, don't miss it! Also be sure to take a look at our other French silver offerings including a host of fine antique French sterling silver coffee, chocolate & tea pots, elegant flatware sets and more. Thanks!
Very good-excellent condition. Some signs of tarnish visible in the images, sorry :). There are also hints of vermeil on the exterior silver so it is possible that the entire piece was in vermeil or just accented with it. I see no damage or repairs to note. There is a hint of wear and/or age tarnish to the vermeil lined interior lid and neck. No chips to the glass and there are no cracks. As near pristine as they come! See pictures for all measurements.
