Large Corozo And Silver Cachet Empire - Restoration Period Paris, 1819-1838

Rare and important prestige seal carved from a corozo nut, mounted on a silver matrix engraved with the name of Louis Cabrit.

The poly-lobed pommel, treated as a blossoming flower, is centered with a rosette of finely chased acanthus leaves. It rests on an elegant plant capital underlined by a pearled row, typical of the neoclassical decorative vocabulary of the Empire-Restauration period.

The main body, entirely openwork and sculpted in very high relief, develops a remarkably virtuoso decoration composed of interlacing vine branches, moving leaves and plant volutes.

At the heart of this composition are:
- a flaming vase or pot,
- a bird with outstretched wings,
- and two dog heads subtly concealed in the ramifications of the decoration.

The ensemble testifies to a very high-level Parisian workshop work, intended for a wealthy personality or a notable from the provinces.

The turned foot receives a circular silver die engraved:
"LOUIS CABRIT"

The mounting bears the Parisian hare's head hallmark used for small silver works between 1819 and 1838, allowing precise dating of the object.

Research probably identifies this owner with a Louis Cabrit from Montpellier mentioned in a deed of financial obligation dated 1836 preserved in the Archives départementales de l'Hérault.

The Cabrit surname, of Occitan origin, remains historically established in the Rouergue and Languedoc regions. This hypothesis appears particularly coherent with the exceptional quality of the seal, which corresponds more to an object of representation belonging to a notable, merchant or cultivated bourgeois of the Midi under the Restoration.

The symbolic decoration reinforces this reading:
- the pampres evoke prosperity,
- the bird elevation,
- the dogs fidelity,
- while the acanthus leaves refer to classical prestige and intellectual refinement.

Today, the object displays a superb warm and shiny patina, characteristic of ancient corozo, a material then sought after for its ivory-like qualities.

STATUS
Very good condition.
No accidents
Very beautiful homogeneous antique patina.

DIMENSIONS
Height: 12.3 cm
Maximum diameter: 3.6 cm

Price: 2750 euros