Gorgeous antique French hallmarked sterling silver & spiral cut glass 8 1/4” or 12oz duet or solitaire sized water service carafon or claret jug PAIR, beautifully ornate with Louis XVI or rococo style decoration & scrolling handles, floral accented collar and that stunning spiral fluted glass or crystal bodies, 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 AND this is a pair! Of course, they’re smaller than the normal claret jugs, surely meant to be single service pieces for two. Rocaille encircling the silver base, the handle in the form of sinuous scrolls with rocaille & foliate accenting. The bodies are thick glass or crystal with a spiral pattern extending from the bottom of the necks to the sterling footed bases. 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 most likely for Laslier, a PUIFORCAT successor. I’ve not been able to find an exact reference match but will look more and either update or confirm. Gorgeous pieces, both in superb condition and a rare matching pair, don't miss them! Also be sure to take a look at the other gorgeous claret jugs we have available, in addition to a host of fine antique French sterling silver coffee, chocolate & tea pots. Thanks!
Very good-excellent condition. Some signs of tarnish visible in the images, sorry :), and possibly the tiniest of dimples but no large dents, no damage or repairs to note. There are a few tiny nips to the glass but there are no cracks or notable flaws to either. See pictures for all measurements.
