Namur 1784, Alexandre Bodart, Oil Cruet, Solid Silver, Louis XVI

Very pretty and heavy oil and vinegar cruet from the Louis XVI period in solid silver with the guarantee and vintage hallmarks (1784) of the city of Namur. It also bears the hallmark of master goldsmith Alexandre Bodart, many of whose pieces are known and still furnish today the display cases of the museum of Namur and Seneffe as well as many treasures of churches in the Namur region. Also called cruetiers by their contemporaries, oil cruets or oil and vinegar cruets appear in large numbers in estate inventories from the beginning of the eighteenth century. They are sometimes made of silver like this one but more often of wood, ceramic or tin. Before 1700 their presence is rather sporadic although the first mentions date back to the end of the sixteenth century. They were used as today to bring oil (olive) and vinegar (wine) to the guests. The decoration of this cruet is sumptuous and rich, for the most part, executed in cast silver. The baskets are of a thick quality for the time, which explains why they are still in perfect condition. The central stem unscrews. It weighs 560 grams, which is exceptional for the time when silver was sold at one thirteenth of gold. This weight therefore represents 40 grams of gold at the time of its manufacture. The carafes are in the style of the eighteenth century but date from the nineteenth century.