Travel Kit Signed Maire – Paris, Circa 1789.

An interesting Saint-Domingue mahogany toiletry and travel set, adorned with gilt brass mounts, bearing the engraved signature on the inner rim: “Made by Maire, Manufacturer of Necessaries, Rue Saint-Honoré near Rue de Grenelle in Paris”. This luxury box perfectly illustrates the expertise of Pierre-Dominique Maire (1763–1827), a famous goldsmith merchant and manufacturer of necessaries, active in Paris at the end of the 18th century. A rival of Martin-Guillaume Biennais, the future goldsmith to Napoleon I, Maire worked closely with several renowned goldsmiths, including Jacques-Brice Beaufort, to whom several pieces of this set are attributed. The silver fittings bear the hallmarks of Paris 1789 (letter P under closed crown, vintage 89) as well as, on some elements, the lictor's hallmark (French Republic, 1793–1798), and some Minerva hallmarks, testifying to replacements or additions made in the 19th century. These marks perfectly document the pivotal period of the Revolution, evoked in the work of Silvercollection.it devoted to the "Forgotten Goldsmiths of 1788–1793". The interior, lined with original green leather, is molded to accommodate a rich series of silver elements: – a large oval basin – several pots and bottles in cut glass with silver mounts, – a milk jug with removable ebony handles. – toilet boxes, one of which has a vermeille interior and accessories, – as well as an oval mirror fixed to the back of the lid. - there is also a chest in the bottom for precious objects, with its key. The same initials LD are found finely engraved on the silver lids and on the brass medallion inlaid on the lid of the box, attesting to a personalized order for a member of the Parisian nobility or upper middle class. The Maire kits, whether intended for civilian or military travel, constitute one of the pinnacles of French luxury craftsmanship at the turn of the Ancien Régime and the Consulate. They bring together the most prestigious disciplines—cabinetmaking, tableware, goldsmithing, glasswork, leatherwork, and marquetry—and embody that French taste for practical refinement that made Parisian productions renowned throughout Europe. Dimensions: Width: 41 cm Depth: 26 cm Height: 13.5 cm Period: Louis XVI – circa 1789 Manufacturer: Pierre-Dominique Maire, rue Saint-Honoré in Paris Goldsmith: Jacques-Brice Beaufort Hallmarks: Paris 1789, Licteur (Republic), Minerve (19th century) Condition: superb preservation, leather interior, original clover lock without key. Comparisons and references: – Mayor’s box in mahogany and silver by Beaufort and Blaquière, Osenat Fontainebleau sale, June 8, 2008 (lot 392) – Mayor’s kit in mahogany, silver and Nast porcelain, Artcurial sale, 2008 (lot 16) – Marshal Kellermann’s kit, Paris 1808, Sotheby’s sale (lot 95) – Bibliography: Anne Dion-Tenenbaum, “Martin-Guillaume Biennais: an exceptional career”, Annales historiques de la Révolution française, n°340, 2005.