MARK OF JEAN-BAPTISTE-CLAUDE ODIOT, PARIS, 1819-1826

Louis Philippe was born in 1773 in the Palais-Royal, Paris, the son of Louis Philippe II, then duc de Chartres and later duc d’Orléans (1747-1793). After serving in the army during at the beginning of the Revolution before fleeing France during the Terror, spending over two decades abroad in Europe, the Americas, and England, where he established lasting ties with the British royal family. Upon his return to France, following the abdication of Napoleon in 1815, he inherited the celebrated Penthièvre silver service. He went on to commission Jean-Baptiste Claude Odiot to engrave it with his arms and augment it with additional pieces. Following the July Revolution of 1830, he ascended the throne as 'King of the French'. Although his reign was marked by bourgeois values and relative simplicity, growing social unrest led to his abdication in 1848. He died in exile at Claremont House, Surrey, in 1850.

Jean-Baptiste Claude Odiot (1763-1850) was one of the leading figures of the Empire-style silver. Born in 1763, he became a master goldsmith in 1785 and succeeded his father in the family business. His prominence grew rapidly after the Exposition de l’Industrie of 1802, and he further strengthened the firm's position by acquiring many of the models and designs of the renowned silversmith Henri Auguste, following the latter's bankruptcy in 1809. Odiot received prestigious commissions from the French Imperial court, including services for Napoleon’s mother, Madame Mère, and for prominent members of the Russian aristocracy, such as Counts Branicki and Demidoff. His work is regarded among the finest achievements of French Empire silver.