Spectacular & rare antique French sterling silver & wheel intaglio etched crystal or glass 12.5" wide jardiniere or centerpiece in an ornate Louis XVI Revival style with serpentine shaping and excellent condition! Just in from France and this one is spectacular! Featuring a lattice (trellis) pierced sterling silver base framework with oval medallions framed by bows, ribbons and laurel or floral swags. The intaglio style wheel engraved glass with garlands & floral rosettes framed in rectangular panels. The gently serpentine shape was a popular interpretation of Louis XVI forms during the late 19th century and the combination of engraved crystal with an ornate silver mount was very fashionable in France during the Belle Époque. The silver portion bears the French Minerve or Minerva hallmark, the tiny number "1" in the upper right corner of the mark means it's in .950 silver (95% pure and so above the .925 standard for "sterling" silver). So far, the silversmith mark is illegible but I'll try to polish over it to see if I can add in the next few days. Without the exact silversmith, this one is definitely comparable to work produced by firms such as Puiforcat, Tetard Frères, Cardeilhac, Boin-Taburet or Aucoc. One of the finest we've had of this kind in years & years, don't miss it!
Excellent condition! No chips, cracks or damage to the overly heavy crystal or glass insert and no damage or repairs to note on the sterling framework or encasement. See images for all measurements.
