Lovely antique French hallmarked sterling silver mint julep or wine cup, tumbler or "timbale" with "SR" monogram on back and Art Nouveau style floral & foliate decoration and wonderful condition! This one bears the post-1838 French Minerve or Minerva hallmark, the tiny number "1" within that mark means it's in .950 silver (95% pure and so just above the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). The silversmith mark is tiny and illegible so I"ve not been able to find reference as of listing. One of several fabulous old French goblets/cups that we're adding today so be sure to browse some while you're with us. We have one of the finest collections of antique French & European sterling silver online and are sure to tempt!
"Timbale" is the French term for the stemless metal goblet or tumbler used for wine, (in our case, sterling silver). The noun feminine for it is tasse, which is more like a typical cup with handle. Demi-tasse is a half or small cup. In their time, these were used for wine at the table. Some speculate this form of drinking goblet is that after which the English term for 'thimble' evolved, the form or shape being that of the thimble for sewing. The goblet predates the sewing thimble, however. A long history is France, these are much sought after and bring a surprising price as many collect this particularly French wine goblet. The earlier, the better. I've seen them fetch upward of $1000, and even the more common silversmiths from 19th century are in the $400 range and above.
Very good to excellent condition. Possibly a tiny dimple or two and some very faint surface scuffs, indicative of light use and age. No larger dents, damage or repairs. See pictures for weight and measurements.
Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh.
Press the space key then arrow keys to make a selection.
Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device