Magnificent & rare antique French hallmarked sterling silver grape scissors or grape shears with exquisite figural depictions of winged cherubs or putti and in a crown & monogram topped maroon leather box! Grape shears were a specialized serving utensil used to trim small bunches of grapes from a larger cluster at the dining table. They were part of an elegant Victorian and French formal table service and were often included in luxury flatware sets. Pierced or openwork handles featuring winged putti (cherubs) carrying baskets of grapes, a classic symbol of abundance and the harvest. The decorative casting is exceptionally crisp, suggesting they were made by a skilled Parisian silversmith rather than being mass-produced. Flowing Rococo inspired scrollwork with grapevine decoration engraved onto the blades and beautifully preserved in a crown & monogrammed maroon leather presentation box. The exuberant Rococo Revival decoration with putti was extremely fashionable in Paris during the Belle Époque, and luxury serving pieces like these were often sold through high-end jewelers. The inside of each blade marked with the French Minerve or Minerva hallmark, the tiny number "1" in the upper right corner means it's in solid .950 silver (95% pure and so above the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith marks are most likely for Henri Francois, Paris circa 1895-1914 (but I'll do a little more research in the next few days). As fine as can be, do not miss these!
Excellent condition. Not a single flaw that I can mention other than the fact that the box may not be original, it has no indented fitting and may just be a similarly aged jewelry box. See images for all measurements.
