Puirforcat Cutlery, “cannes” Model

Jean E. Puiforcat – "Cannes" Pattern Cutlery, Sterling Silver 950, Paris 1928 Art Déco · Silver Minerve 950 · Jean E. Puiforcat · Set of 3 Pieces

A set of three pieces — one table fork (20.5 cm), one table spoon (20.5 cm) and one table knife (23 cm) — in sterling silver 950, model Cannes, by Maison Jean E. Puiforcat, Paris. The Cannes collection, designed in 1928, has for its sole ornament five fluted rings adorning the handle — a rigorous silhouette evoking the Art Déco façade of the Hôtel Martinez on the Riviera. The absolute geometric purity of the model — without any superfluous ornamentation — is the most accomplished expression of Jean Puiforcat's formal vocabulary, contemporary with the great decorative arts exhibitions of the 1920s. Puiforcat

On the day of his marriage to Maria Estevez, Jean Puiforcat chose precisely these pieces of cutlery to dress the table — making the Cannes pattern a piece charged with unique personal and historical significance within the silversmith's body of work. Puiforcat

Jean E. Puiforcat (Paris, 1897–1945), from a dynasty of silversmiths founded in 1820, is one of the leading figures of international Art Déco silversmithing. Exhibiting at the Paris Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs in 1925, he was one of the founding members of the Union des Artistes Modernes (UAM) in 1929. Works from his production are held in the collections of the Musée du Louvre and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

• Table fork: 20.5 cm
• Table spoon: 20.5 cm
• Table knife: 23 cm
• Material: sterling silver 950 · Minerve hallmark
• Model: Cannes, Jean E. Puiforcat, 1928
• Literature: Jean Puiforcat, Éditions du Regard, 1986, p. 253
• Condition: very good, barely used · light traces of use

Seen in museums — available to you.

Available for viewing by appointment at our Düsseldorf gallery.

Keywords integrated: Puiforcat, Cannes silver cutlery, Art Déco silversmithing Paris, sterling silver 950 Minerve, Jean Puiforcat 1928, UAM Union des Artistes Modernes, Musée Arts Décoratifs Paris, Hôtel Martinez Riviera