Pair Of Skyphos, Facsimiles Of The Hildesheim Treasure By Christofle & Cie And Other Manufactures

This important pair of skyphos vases is a set of high-precision galvanic facsimiles of the famous Hildesheim Treasure discovered in 1868, illustrating with absolute fidelity Roman goldsmithery of the Imperial period. The relief decoration, characteristic of the antique style, features garlands of flowers and fruit suspended by ribbons on a caliciform body flanked by two horizontal handles, the whole sublimated by a two-tone execution combining gilding and silvering. One of the two pieces bears the official circular signature "TRÉSOR D'HILDESHEIM - FAC-SIMILÉ GALVANIQUE - CHRISTOFLE & Cie" under its base, while the second, although visually identical in shape and ornamentation, is unsigned and shows variations in weight and a distinct patina. These nuances suggest for the latter a production by another renowned manufacture authorized at the time, such as Elkington & Co, thus offering this set valuable historical and documentary interest in the dissemination of masterpieces of antiquity by the great art houses of the late 19th century.