Monumental Honor Cup In Silver Plated Bronze - Frères Fannière

Official Prix d’Honneur – Nantes Regional Equestrian Competition (1888)
Historical Model of the “Grand Prix de Paris 1867,” Presented by Emperor Napoleon III

We are proud to present this monumental silver-plated cup of exceptional historical significance, designed by the legendary Parisian silversmiths Frères Fannière. This impressive piece stands on a richly textured black marble pedestal, adorned with its original silver presentation plaque, which preserves and highlights the object’s distinguished history.

The bronze intermediate base has been expertly restored in the past, with strict respect for the original proportions. The design is a masterpiece of 19th-century French eclecticism, strongly inspired by the Renaissance.

The broad body of the cup is exquisitely chased with reliefs depicting winged allegorical figures of Fame (Renommées), surrounded by lavish foliage and floral ornamentation. Its most striking features are undoubtedly the monumental handles: dramatically sculpted rearing horses, restrained by putti in a highly dynamic composition.

This particular model has an exceptionally well-documented history. An identical vase is illustrated and described in Henri Bouilhet’s reference work, L’Orfèvrerie Française aux XVIIIème et XIXème Siècles (Paris, 1912, p. 69), as the official trophy created for the Grand Prix de Paris of 1867, presented personally by Emperor Napoleon III.

Twenty years later, this very model was once again employed by the French state as its highest distinction. As confirmed by the engraved presentation plaque on the front, this cup was awarded in 1888 as the Prix d’Honneur at the Concours Régional Hippique de Nantes, under the auspices of the French Ministry of Agriculture, Directorate of the National Studs (Direction des Haras).

François-Auguste Fannière (1819–1900) and François-Joseph Fannière (1820–1897) ranked among the foremost French silversmiths of the 19th century. Educated at the École des Beaux-Arts, they achieved distinction in both sculpture and fine chasing.

In addition to the success of their own workshop, established in 1839, they produced exclusive designs for some of Paris’s most prestigious houses, including Odiot, Froment-Meurice, and Christofle. Their outstanding craftsmanship was recognized with a Gold Medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1867, confirming their place among the leading artistic silversmiths of their era.