Fine antique French Belle Epoque era sterling silver "ecuelle" or legumier, a single serving dish or bowl with original lid featuring a foliate accented pomegranate style finial! A very alluring and unique piece, the bowl itself has a 5" diameter, is 2 1/8" deep, is 4 1/8" tall with the lid and 6.5" wide with the handles. The French Minerve or Minerva hallmark on the side of the bowl and inner lip of the lid, the tiny number "1" within that mark designates .950 silver content (95% pure silver and higher than the .925 standard for sterling silver). The silversmith mark is legible, appears to be "FB" though I've not found reference to it yet. A wonderful piece, simple enough to fit into an existing fine silver service but unique enough to stand out and attract compliments! We have a host of the finest antique French sterling silver online so, be sure to browse some while you're with us. Thanks!
Good to very good condition. A slight bit of waviness on the interior of the bowl and possible a tiny dimple or two but no larger dents. There appears to a silver solder at the edge of the lid where the domed portion meets the outer edging and there are also some surface darkened spots on the lid. Our silversmith has told me that these faint dark marks are due to it being exposed to high heat, the heat causes the copper in the silver to come to the surface and results in slightly darker markings. See pictures for measurements.
