Elegant antique French Napoleon I era sterling silver 11" oil & vinegar cruet stand or caddy, 1798-1809 hallmarks and gorgeous Empire style figural supports, armorial crest with French Legion of Honor and two beautiful, thick cobalt glass decanters! Elegant, I just love these old French silver pieces and this one, with the gorgeous contrasting cobalt glass leaves very, very little to be desired. Hallmarks all over the place and it bears the 1798-1809 "Coq" and Moyenne hallmarks, the tiny number "1" within the coq mark means that they're all in .950 silver (95% pure and higher than the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith marks are slightly hard to decipher but I'll continue to research and add that info if/when I am successful. RARE and OLD, from the time of Napoleon Bonaparte himself likely! And, the "Legion d'Honneur" armorial engraving might mean it belonged to one of his generals? A magnificent, museum quality piece, don't miss it!
Very good condition. A small nip or two is possible to the decanters but no large chips, no cracks or repairs there. One of the stoppers does have a break in the middle, drilled through the center and repaired but there. A minor dimple or two possible but no large dents, damage or repairs to note. The piece stands steady but may have a slight bend at one or two corners, just above the ball feet. The silver alone weighs 19.93 troy ounces or 620 grams. See pictures for measurements.
