Monumental Bishop's Cross In Vermeil By Jean-charles Cahier

PARIS, RESTORATION PERIOD

FIRST THIRD OF THE 19TH CENTURY

A significant, monumental episcopal crozier in vermeil—gilded silver—crafted by Jean-Charles Cahier, a Parisian silversmith whose work was closely tied to major religious commissions during the Empire and the Restoration.

The long, detachable shaft is punctuated by molded rings and richly repoussé and chased elements. Notably, it features a fleur-de-lis set within a diamond-shaped medallion, surrounded by palmettes, fleurons, and foliage scrolls.

The upper section is dominated by an imposing multi-tiered knot, composed of godrons, acanthus leaves, and vegetal friezes. The deep relief of the chiseled work alternates with large polished surfaces, highlighting the gilding and the monumentality of the piece as a whole.

The cross-piece forms a broad spiral volute, the entire surface of which is covered with lanceolate leaves arranged in scales. Its base blossoms into a powerful bouquet of acanthus leaves. The continuity of movement, from the shaft to the center of the volute, gives the crosier an instantly recognizable silhouette.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Jean-Charles Cahier began crafting episcopal croziers for concordat bishops as early as the Consulate. The Diocese of Besançon thus documents the crosier presented in 1802 to Bishop Claude Le Coz as the goldsmith’s first known official work and mentions the creation of several models for the dioceses reorganized after the Concordat.

A crosier that appears identical to this example is depicted in *The Coronation of Napoleon I*, painted by Jacques-Louis David. It features the same large continuous scroll, the same leaf-shaped base, and a comparable arrangement of the upper knot.

The same model reappears, with remarkable precision, in the hands of the Archbishop of Reims in depictions of the coronation of Charles X. The preparatory drawing, created by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres for the *Album of the Coronation of Charles X*, folio 15, is now housed in the Department of Graphic Arts at the Louvre Museum.

The composition of the crosseron—its scroll, its leaf motif, its proportions, and the overall architecture of the knot—closely corresponds to this example. These iconographic parallels allow us to link this crosier to one of the major models designed by Cahier, whose use spanned from the Empire to the Restoration.

The fleur-de-lis decoration, the quality of the vermeil work, the monumental dimensions, and the dual comparison with the works of David and Ingres lend this crosier significant historical and artistic value.

Vermeil—gilded silver, repoussé and chased.

Hallmarks of Jean-Charles Cahier and first-class hallmark.

Height: approximately 205 cm

Gross weight: approximately 3,199 g

In very fine condition.

DOCUMENTATION

– Diocese of Besançon, entry dedicated to the crosier of Bishop Claude Le Coz and the models created for bishops under the Concordat.

– Jacques-Louis David, The Coronation of Emperor Napoleon I and Empress Josephine, 1806–1807, Louvre Museum, Department of Paintings, inv. 3699.

– Historical Journal of the Ceremonies and Celebrations of the Coronation of His Majesty Charles X, Paris, Royal Printing Office, 1827.

– Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, The Archbishop of Reims, drawing for the Album of the Coronation of Charles X, folio 15, Louvre Museum, Department of Graphic Arts, inv. 27205 recto.