Namur 1956, Baron Louis Huart, Mayor 1931-1963, Solid Silver, Presentation Platter

An extremely rare solid silver serving platter bearing the coat of arms of the city of Namur. An engraved inscription on the back tells its story: it was presented by the local Christian Democratic Party (PSC) to its leader, Baron Louis Marie Huart, in 1956, to commemorate his 25 years as mayor of the Walloon capital. Baron Huart, born on May 5, 1880, was a lawyer and politician who served successively as a municipal councilor (1926-1964), alderman (1929-1931), and finally mayor of Namur (1931-1963). During the same period, he was also a member of parliament and a senator. The platter is a small masterpiece of silversmithing, showcasing a variety of techniques. The majority of the piece is made of repoussé silver and depicts all the important historical monuments of the city, such as Saint-Aubain Cathedral, Saint-Jacques Tower, the old bridge over the Meuse, the Chapel of Our Lady of the Rampart, the Sambre and Meuse Gate, the Gravière Gate, etc. Around the rim, the goldsmith set three cabochons of precious stones, and in the center, he depicted the coat of arms of Namur in enamel and gilt silver. The Lion of Flanders is surmounted by Our Lady of the Rampart, placed within the "Burgundy flint and steel." This representation of a flint and steel was the symbol of Duke Philip the Good of Burgundy and his descendants. It was also used as a motif for the links of the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The city of Namur obtained the privilege of incorporating this symbol into its coat of arms very early on, and it is also found in the hallmarks on Namur silverware from the Ancien Régime. The serving platter is in perfect condition and weighs 555 grams, perhaps not a coincidence, as Namur's postal code is 5000 and all the municipalities in the province have a postal code that begins with a 5.