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Lot Essay
French pieces of domestic silver from the first thirty years of the 17th Century are extremely rare. Michèle Bimbinet-Privat illustrates only two examples made in Paris apart from flatware. One of these is a a hexafoil tapering basket, with similar piercing, borders and handles to the present example, which is in the collection of the British Museum, London (Les Orfèvres Parisiens de la Renaissance, 1506-1620, Paris, 1992, pp. 374-375, cat. no. 75). The maker of the British Museum basket of 1629-1630, Nicolas Crestien, specialised in such productions. A shallow, pierced, later gilt, two-handled stand of 1638 on central foot of similar workmanship described as a basket, but perhaps a glove tray, by him is also recorded (sold Christie's Geneva, lot 168). He entered his mark on the 3 August 1608 and the inventory of his stock drawn up on the death of his wife in April 1639 lists, apart from gold cases and book bindings, 6 paniers d'argent en ovale (259 livres), 2 paniers ronds d'argent ciselé avec anse de serpent (639 livres) and additional baskets without value).
A pair of silver-gilt baskets catalogued as Paris 1657 with illegible makers' marks but now known to be 1633, are in a private collection (Christie's Geneva, 13 May 1981, lot 159). Bimbinet-Privat
points out that early 17th Century goldsmith's accounts frequently use the term ajouré or pierced, but for such delicate work to survive is extraordinarily rare. Indeed the present example appears to be the only known basket with its original cover extant. Such baskets do occasionally appear in French still life paintings of the period and are shown filled sometimes with flowers and sometimes with fruit.
A pair of silver-gilt baskets catalogued as Paris 1657 with illegible makers' marks but now known to be 1633, are in a private collection (Christie's Geneva, 13 May 1981, lot 159). Bimbinet-Privat
points out that early 17th Century goldsmith's accounts frequently use the term ajouré or pierced, but for such delicate work to survive is extraordinarily rare. Indeed the present example appears to be the only known basket with its original cover extant. Such baskets do occasionally appear in French still life paintings of the period and are shown filled sometimes with flowers and sometimes with fruit.