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Cutlery In Vermeil, Northern Of France Or England, Around 1675

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Object description :

"Cutlery In Vermeil, Northern Of France Or England, Around 1675"

Fork and spoonin vermeil Silver

North of France or England (?), Around 1675

L : 16.3-16.6 cm; Weight: 80g

A setof fork and spoon in vermeil. The spoon has a flat handle completed by a curved and trefoil spatula, a large spoon is reinforced by a "rat tail" attachment. The fork with four curved teethhas an identical handle and spatula. The two sides of the handle are engraved with identical decor, a long pattern of an unbroken scroll of acanthus leaves. On the back of the spoon is engraved a large acanthus leaf whose rat tail attachment acts as a central rib.

Hallmark: F, a point, S, overcoming "s", crowned: anonymous master. The typology of the punch, away from the generality of Paris. The “s” could be different from the master, referring to the city of production. The hallmarks of the goldsmiths of the city of Stenay have this typology; city of the prerogative of the Prince of Condé, no stamp of control was affixed on the goldsmithery. The archives remain silent on this master.

This cutlery is typical of the french cutlery production of the last quarter of the 17th century, of which Parisian goldsmiths Jérôme Sergent and Jacques Villain made their specialty. These fork & spoonwithout any recognition mark bears only that of the crowned master silversmith FSS, probably of Huguenot origin from the north of France who also worked in England after "Edit de Fontenaibleau". A number of pieces, with the only maker's mark, are listed: a travel giltcutlery, with the same shape and decor, was sold at Sotheby's at the Jourdan-Barry sale (n ° 124), a covered cup with a gilttazza, engraved with foliage from the Metropolitan Museum (Inv. 68.141.69a – c), a gilt porringer with engraved decoration kept in the collections of the Boston Fine Art museum.

Ref. : Sotheby's Sale, Jourdan-Barry, April 12, 2012, n ° 124; Jacques Hollander: "Cutlery from Gothic art to Art Nouveau, Hollander collection", n ° 241, p.31; Louvre Museum, cutlerywith knife by Jean Villain, Inv. OA. 9794; Metropolitan Museum: "English and Other Silver in the Irwin Untermyer Collection" (n ° 80 & 82)