,christofle 189 Piece Dinner Set For 12 People, Marot Model

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Christofle – Large cutlery set, Marot model

A large and very complete Christofle cutlery set in silver-plated metal, Marot model, preserved in its original case and in excellent condition. The set likely dates from the 1950s–1960s, a period during which this model was widely popular.

Composition

The set includes:

• 12 large forks
• 12 large spoons
• 12 large knives
• 12 dessert forks
• 12 dessert spoons
• 12 dessert knives
• 12 fish forks
• 12 fish knives
• 12 oyster forks
• 12 snail forks
• 12 cake forks
• 12 teaspoons
• 12 espresso spoons

That’s 156 individual place settings, plus a particularly extensive set of serving pieces:

• 1 soup ladle
• 1 large serving spoon
• 1 large serving fork
• 2 salad serving utensils
• 2 fish serving utensils
• 1 spoon for light and rich sauces
• 1 olive spoon
• 1 cold meat fork
• 1 sardine fork
• 1 cheese knife
• 1 butter knife
• 1 sugar tongs
• 1 cake server
• 2 pieces forming a carving set
• 1 rice or frites spoon
• 1 cake or ice cream knife

The set thus comprises more than 175 pieces, making it an exceptionally complete collection for this model.

The Marot model

With its simply molded handle topped by a small stylized shell, Marot represents a 20th-century reinterpretation of the classic French ornamental repertoire. Its design, elegant without being overly ornate, allows it to be paired equally well with antique tableware or a contemporary table setting.

The name Marot most likely refers to Daniel Marot (1661–1752), a French architect, draftsman, engraver, and ornamental artist, and son of the architect Jean Marot. As a Protestant, Daniel Marot was forced to leave France following the revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 and found refuge in the United Provinces.

He entered the service of William III of Orange-Nassau and helped spread the grand French decorative style developed under Louis XIV throughout the Netherlands. When William became King of England, Marot also worked in England, thereby contributing to the international spread of French taste.

His numerous engravings and collections of designs were intended for architects, sculptors, cabinetmakers, and goldsmiths. They feature the full range of late 17th-century decorative motifs: scrolls, foliage, cartouches, palmettes, and shells—a motif that finds a particularly apt echo here in the design chosen by Christofle for its Marot model.