Pair Of Cruets And Their Tray, Silver, France, Circa 1840

A set of church cruets and their matching silver tray, embossed, engraved, chased, and guilloché. The cruets, with their nearly spherical and bulbous bodies, rest on a slightly projecting circular foot. They feature rich, stylized vegetal ornamentation covering the entire surface of the vessels, depicting alternating lanceolate leaves, buds, and aquatic plant leaves within guilloché-patterned borders. The tubular necks of the cruets are narrowed by a collar adorned with a beaded frieze. The cruets—one of which is gilded on the inside—are identical in their decoration and have volute handles in the shape of vine stems. The handles of the lids are each embellished with a different knob. The tray, fitted with positioning lugs, has six pronounced lobes. Quite deep, it has a rim decorated with rushes, vines, and reeds; the edge is bordered with fillets. French work circa 1840, intended for export. 950/1000 silver, with official hallmarks on each piece. Silversmith: Marinie Charles, active from 1820 to 1840 in Paris. Dimensions: Tray: length 27.5 cm; maximum width 13.8 cm; height 2 cm. Cruets: height 14 cm; diameter of the body 5.9 cm. Total weight: 445 g. Excellent condition.