Pair Of Empire-style Silver Salt Cellars, 1st Hallmark - Jean Auguste Berel

A pair of first-hallmark silver salt cellars with cut glass, a Parisian piece from the Empire period, crafted in the early 19th century.
Each salt cellar rests on a silver tripod base, adorned with winged female figures rendered in relief.
These figures extend from engraved tubular legs that end in lion’s paws.
The upper band is accented by a twisted frieze in the neoclassical decorative style characteristic of French silverwork during the Empire period.
The mounts hold two cut-glass bowls, the bases of which feature a star-shaped radiating design.
The salt cellars bear the Parisian hallmarks for fine silver (950/1000) as well as the master silversmith’s mark corresponding to Jean Auguste Berel, a Parisian silversmith.
His diamond-shaped hallmark combines the initials J.A.B. with a heraldic rock of the chessboard.
Jean-Auguste Berel is documented in Paris in the early 19th century, notably at 24 Rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain, with evidence of his activity dating back to the early 1810s.
The presence of these hallmarks allows us to date this pair to Paris, circa 1810–1819, while its decoration is fully in keeping with the Empire style.

• Height: 6 cm
• Diameter: 7.5 cm
• Total weight of silver settings (net weight): 148 grs
• Very good overall condition.