FREE KNIVES BRING TOTAL COUNT TO 126 PIECES. The silversmith marks on ALL pieces are for Henri Soufflot, 89 Rue de Turbigo, Paris circa 1884-1910. Absolutely exquisite & rare antique French sterling silver Belle Epoque era 90pc flatware set with FREE 36pc matching knife set, all with beautiful Neo-Gothic style collar (ferule) pattern & matching ornate interlaced "MM" monograms and the flatware kept in a fabulous old 3-layer fitted chest with swan & crown engraved handle. A magnificent ensemble! Including the FREE matching knives, you have a complete 7pc place setting for EIGHTEEN here. All original and amazing. The pattern as seen in our reference guide is referred to as "Ferule", definitely Gothic in style and as elegant as can be! I recall having a set of these in the past, not nearly as extensive but I simply can't find the old photos or listing information. I'm sure the buyer of that set would have to be interested in these. Of course, they'll likely sell before I make any progress there :). Simply gorgeous! We actually have quite a few more photographs of the set, including more of the chest so, email and we can send them. Truly a sight to behold and the pictures really do say more than my words will ever be able to. All forks & spoons in heavy, solid old French sterling silver and bear the French Minerve or Minerva hallmark. The tiny number "1" within those marks means they're in .950 silver (95% pure and higher than the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith marks on ALL pieces are for Henri Soufflot, 89 Rue de Turbigo, Paris circa 1884-1910. Magnificent, don't miss them!
Very good condition. Some surface scuffs to the silver, indicative of light use and age but no damage or repairs to note on any of the flatware. As noted above, the knives are a free gift and bring the total number of pieces up to 126! The knives all have the original pre-stainless blades so you will see some age tarnish and/or corrosion. There are also a few age/drying splits in some handles but, as you can see, they're all free of any other flaws, no damage or repairs to note otherwise. Not counting the knives, the total weight of the flatware is 198 troy ounces or 6150 grams!! The chest is not original to the set though you would never know. It has three fitted layers (two lift-out and then the fitted bottom) and hold all pieces as if it was made for them. The center tray has extra spaces that can accommodate an additional twelve each in the larger dinner sized forks & spoons if you decide to expand. The chest exterior does show some age with bubbling to the shagreen-like covering (most notable on the left side of the box and left side of the front. A treasure itself with the royal engraving on the handle, a medallion with swan and crown! See pictures for individual weights and measurements.
