Solid Silver Chocolate Cup And Saucer – Roussel Silversmith – Clover Design – 19th Cent.

An elegant chocolate cup with a solid silver saucer, a piece of French silversmithing from the late 19th century, bearing the Minerva hallmark and attributed to the silversmith Roussel.

The cup has a slightly flared shape and rests on a circular, fluted base. Its body is adorned with two finely engraved decorative friezes: the first, beneath the rim, consists of a series of festoons accented with small plant motifs, and the second, in its lower section, is adorned with a continuous frieze of clovers on a finely guilloché background.

It is particularly distinguished by its remarkable openwork handle, composed of elegant scrolls and clovers in relief, whose delicately veined leaves attest to the care taken in its execution.

The circular saucer, with a slightly raised rim, harmoniously echoes the same ornamentation, featuring a peripheral frieze of festoons and an inner ring of engraved clovers.

The set exemplifies the refinement of late 19th-century French silverwork, with its delicate floral design foreshadowing Art Nouveau influences.

Hallmarks: Minerva and a maker’s mark attributed to Roussel.

Period: Late 19th century, circa 1890–1900.

Material: Solid silver.

Total weight: 298 grams.

Condition: In good overall condition, showing a few fine scratches and normal signs of wear, with no major damage apparent in the photographs.

Shipping: 14 euros within France, 25 euros within the EU, and 80 euros to the rest of the world.