Empire-style Sauce Boulet In Silver And Vermeil By Coulon, Paris, 1808

Silversmith: Angélique Marie Coulon

Paris, 1807–1809

Silversmith: Angélique Marie Coulon

A rare and significant Parisian sauceboat from the First Empire, crafted in solid silver and vermeil by Angélique Marie Coulon, a silversmith whose work appears particularly rarely on the market.

Shaped like a shuttle, it rests on an elegant oval pedestal and features a remarkable handle depicting a long neck ending in a finely chased swan’s head. This motif, particularly emblematic of the decorative vocabulary of the First Empire, gives the piece a silhouette that is at once understated, elegant, and instantly recognizable.

The sauce boat is crafted from first-grade solid silver (950/1000). Its interior is entirely in vermeil, whose antique gilding is in remarkable condition.

The quality of craftsmanship is also evident in its exceptionally substantial weight of 565 grams, which is particularly significant for a sauce boat of this size. This abundance of material, combined with the quality of the swan’s engraving and the balance of the form, attests to a commission and execution carried out with particular care.

A PARTICULARLY PRECISE DATE: 1807–1809

The piece bears the Parisian hallmarks in use during the period 1803–1809, as well as the silversmith’s mark of Angélique Marie Coulon, whose mark was engraved in 1807.

The combination of these hallmarks thus allows us to narrow down its date of creation exceptionally precisely to a period of just a few years, between 1807 and 1809, at the height of the First Empire and among the earliest documented years of the silversmith’s career.

Angélique Marie Coulon’s work is now considered rare on the market, which adds further interest to this sauceboat, beyond its mere aesthetic and material qualities.

It thus combines several particularly sought-after characteristics:

— a rare Parisian silversmith, Angélique Marie Coulon;

— a very narrow date range, 1807–1809;

— 565 grams of solid silver, a particularly substantial weight;

— interior entirely in vermeil, remarkably well-preserved;

— a spectacular swan-shaped handle, emblematic of the First Empire;

— high-quality craftsmanship and excellent condition.

A particularly captivating piece of Parisian silverwork from the First Empire, remarkable as much for the rarity of its silversmith as for its weight, condition, and the elegance of its decoration.

Paris, 1807–1809

Solid silver 950/1000 and vermeil

Silversmith: Angélique Marie Coulon

Weight: 565 g