"Miniature Sterling Silver Cup With Butterfly And Vines, Art Nouveau Period"
Charming miniature cup depicting a butterfly applied on a finely chiseled frieze of vine branches. Work of the silversmith Alphonse Debain (marked AD and a woodcock) and Minerva assay mark. The silversmith had his mark engraved in 1883, but it was struck out in 1911. His prolific work was notably found at the 1900 World's Fair where his exhibited pieces presented all the characteristics of Art Nouveau, with an ornamental repertoire inspired by nature. Some of his pieces are preserved at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Dimensions given without taking the butterfly into account. 
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TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato