A large Napoleon III silver-plated centre-piece

BY CHRISTOFLE & CIE., PARIS, CIRCA 1870

细节

A large Napoleon III silver-plated centre-piece
By Christofle & Cie., Paris, Circa 1870
Surmounted by a group of the Three Graces, each laden with fruit and flowers, above a quatrefoil-shaped dish engraved with ribbon-tied fruit and foliage and cast with scrolled acanthus and husk pendants, above a frieze applied with ribbon-threaded fruit, flowers and foliage and centred to front and back with a blank cartouche flanked by ribbon-threaded oak leaves, with a pair of central toupie feet and with scrolled lapette-cast end feet, stamped CHRISTOFLE to the bottom of the frieze and numbered 373017 to the bottom of one toupie foot
21¼in. (54cm.) high; 37½in. (95.3cm.) wide; 23½in. (59.7cm.) deep

拍品专文

In 1842 and 1843, Charles Christofle (d.1863) obtained for ten years the exclusive use of the patents taken out by the English firm of Elkington & Co. (in 1840 and 1842) and Ruolz (in 1841 and 1842) for the galvanic process of gilding and silvering known as argenterie electro-chimique. The following years saw Christofle being embroiled in many lawsuits to preserve his rights until the patents entered the public domain. Pieces produced by this new process were first exhibited in Paris in 1844, winning the firm a gold medal and its founder the Légion d'Honneur. Further gold medals for his silver-plated work were awarded at the 1849 and 1851 exhibitions.
Another silver-plated centre-piece by Christofle, identical to the present but without the foliate engraving to the quatrefoil dish and with the later addition of a glass tazza, was sold Sotheby's London, 2 October 1998, lot 158. For further information on Christofle & Cie., see the note to lot 535.