Louis XVI-style Leg-of-lamb Handle In Silver And Steel By Ernest Banquier

A beautiful neoclassical leg-of-lamb handle by master silversmith Ernest BANQUIER.

The handle, in filled 950/1000 silver, features an elegant panelled decoration with moldings, cascading laurel garlands, fleurons, small flowers and clasps, the reserves highlighted by an amati ground.

The tulip-shaped steel clamp is in perfect working condition.

• Minerva 1^st standard (solid silver 950/1000)
• Maker's mark: EB, an imperial staff, for Ernest BANQUIER.

• Length: 21.2 cm.
• Width: 9 cm.
• Diameter: 3 cm.

Paris, 1860–1876.

Gross weight: 129 g

Preserved in its original case lined with crimson morocco-grained paper embellished with gold friezes, with an interior lined with satin and cream velvet.

Condition report

Some wear and signs of use to the nickel-plating of the steel clamp, without affecting its functionality. The piece as a whole remains in very good condition.

The excellent condition of the filled silver handle attests to the quality of its craftsmanship. As David ALLAN notably pointed out in French Tableware and Cutlery of the 19th Century (Faton), filled silver handles made with a sufficient thickness of silver offer remarkable durability over time.

This piece also illustrates the organization of Parisian production in the second half of the nineteenth century: even a handle crafted by a master silversmith was frequently paired with a steel clamp manufactured by a specialist cutler.

Ernest BANQUIER, a Parisian silversmith established at 21 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, registered his maker's mark on 19 June 1860. It was cancelled on 5 May 1876.