Solid Silver And Vermeil Ciborium – Martial Dejean – First Empire, Circa 1798–1809 – Paris

Solid silver and vermeil ciborium – Martial Dejean – First Empire, circa 1798–1809 – Paris

Solid silver ciborium, French work from the First Empire period, circa 1798–1809, attributed to silversmith Martial Dejean.

Description

Resting on a broad, stepped circular base, this ciborium features an elegant engraved and chased decoration of palmettes, foliage, garlands, and plant motifs, characteristic of the neoclassical decorative style of the period. The ovoid knob is also adorned with foliage in relief.

The wide, hemispherical bowl, simple and well-balanced, retains a beautiful mercury gilding (vermeil) on the interior, intended to protect the silver from contact with the Holy Elements. It is topped by a domed lid richly engraved with a wreath of flowers and foliage, crowned by a small cross.

The piece bears several antique hallmarks, notably the rooster hallmark corresponding to the first standard of French silver from the period 1798–1809, as well as a guarantee hallmark featuring a woman’s head. The maker’s mark, consisting of an “M,” a star, and a “D,” is identified as that of Martial Dejean.

A striking piece of liturgical silverware, notable both for the quality of its decoration and for its substantial weight and precise dating to the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Period: First Empire, circa 1798–1809
Material: solid silver, interior of the bowl in vermeil
Silversmith: Martial Dejean
Hallmarks: 1st fineness mark with a rooster, woman’s head guarantee mark, and master’s mark M*D
Height: 26 cm
Weight: 580 g

Condition:

Very good overall condition considering its age, with signs of use, minor irregularities, and surface wear consistent with a liturgical piece over two centuries old. The interior gilding is still well preserved.

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