Silver-plated Champagne Bucket Stand, Orfèvrerie Potfer Paris, Fluted Column, Mid-20th Century

Silver-plated champagne bucket stand, Orfèvrerie Potfer Paris, fluted column, stand

Silver-plated champagne bucket stand on a foot, Orfèvrerie Potfer, Paris, around the middle of the 20th century. A rare model, of the kind set up beside the tables of grand restaurants and hotels to hold the champagne or wine bucket, within the sommelier's reach.

Marks on the upper band of the basket. Square maker's mark, a shape reserved in France for silver plate, with the initials OP beneath a pot and a horseshoe, a rebus of the house's name. The POTFER mark in full within a cartouche. Two small additional marks. Orfèvrerie Potfer: a renowned Parisian house at 16 rue de Crussol, active from 1944 to the 1980s, a major supplier of flatware, dishes and serving pieces to the hotel trade. A name already associated with luxury silver plate through Eugène Potfer, a silversmith working in Paris in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A slender silhouette of neoclassical inspiration, in the Louis XVI taste. Circular domed base with moulded steps, weighted with cast iron inside: 6.5 kg in all, ensuring a fine, steady footing even with a full bucket. Column shaft with fine fluting, set on a small fluted / gadrooned knop and crowned by a half-sphere cup carrying the basket. Cylindrical basket 9.5 cm deep, with a solid bottom, encircled by a pierced gallery with a frieze of interlaced ovals, of fine delicacy, between two plain bands. Slightly projecting upper lip, base underlined with a reed moulding.

Original use, still relevant today: holding a champagne or wine bucket whose foot does not exceed 16 cm in diameter, beside the table, in a dining room, a drawing room or a private bar. Offered on its own, without a bucket. Also for an ice bucket, or as a plant stand for a potted plant on a saucer, thanks to the solid bottom of the basket. Fine effect in a cellar, a reception room or a restaurant attached to traditional service.

Very good condition, with a fine, light patina. Fine scratches from use on the gallery and the base. Under the base, on the hidden side, oxidised cast-iron weight and the threaded rod assembling the shaft. Nothing but the natural wear of a serving piece that has seen use: no dents or losses, ready to use as it is.

Dimensions:
• Height: 69 cm (27.2 in)
• Diameter of the basket: 17 cm (6.7 in)
• Diameter of the opening: 16 cm (6.3 in)
• Depth of the basket: 9.5 cm (3.7 in)
• Diameter of the base: 27.5 cm (10.8 in)
• Weight: 6.5 kg (14.3 lb)

Safe and secure shipping:
• France: € 28
• European Union: € 58
• International: € 298
• Professional packing; each shipment insured for the full value of the piece.
• Authenticity guaranteed; a detailed invoice is provided with every acquisition.
• Returns accepted within 14 days of receipt.
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