Paris 1704, Nicolas I Outrebon, Mass Chalice In Solid Silver And Vermeil, Louis XIV

Fantastic and sumptuous Louis XIV period chalice in vermeil with charge (crowned A) and discharge (a crown surrounding a scepter and a hand of justice) hallmarks and the hallmark for the year 1704 (crowned L). It also bears the master goldsmith hallmark of Nicolas I Outrebon, founding father of a dynasty of renowned Parisian goldsmiths, several of whose works are exhibited at the Louvre Museum. The hallmarks are inside the foot, as is a pretty heraldic engraving whose owner I have unfortunately not been able to identify. The vermeil is still in very good condition. The engraving and chasing are of the highest quality from the end of the reign of Louis XIV. The cup of the chalice is hallmarked with a Minerva's head and a small master goldsmith's mark and probably dates from the nineteenth century. It is very rare to find French goldwork from this period because of the successive melting orders by the king, the regent and then the confiscations and melting orders by the revolutionaries. The chalice weighs 700 grams