ANTIQUE 19thC FRENCH SOLID SILVER LARGE DINNER SERVICE, MON ODIOT, PARIS c.1890
19th Century French silver dinner service, very large and of heavy gauge. Consisting of; five serving oval dishes, four serving round plates, two lidded tureens and two sauce boats. Of traditional shape and decorated with elegant guilloché borders, applied with cast crowned masks above floral garlands, mounted with scrolled acanthus leaf handles and finials.
Hallmarked with French Silver minerva (950 standard), Paris, Maker's mark MON ODIOT for Maison Odiot.
Reference Number: B6674
DESCRIPTION
Antique late-19th Century French exquisite solid silver dinner service, very large and of heavy gauge. Consisting of; five serving oval dishes, four serving round plates, two lidded tureens and two sauce boats. Of traditional shape and decorated with elegant guilloché borders, applied with cast crowned masks above floral garlands, mounted with scrolled acanthus leaf handles and finials. Hallmarked French Silver minerva (950 standard), Paris, Maker's mark MON ODIOT (Maison Odiot, founded in 1690 - active til present). bearing various inventory numbers.
La Maison Odiot, or House of Odiot was founded in 1690 by Jean-Baptiste Gaspard Odiot, fine silversmith during the reign of Louis XV. However it was with his grandson, Jean Baptiste Claude Odiot (born in 1763) that the firm reached its peak of notoriety, receiving exceptional commissions from Napoleon’s court and the most important Royal families of the world.
In 1802 the firm participated at the International Exposition de l’Industrie in Paris winning the gold medal. Soon after, Odiot succeeded Henry Auguste as Napoleon’s official silversmith and was commissioned both the sceptre and the sword for his coronation in 1804, two massive dinner services for Napoleon’s mother and sister and one for the Emperor’s campaigns.
Jean Baptiste Claude is certainly the most iconic silversmith of the Empire style, influenced by the return of the classical Greek and Egyptian patterns: his pieces, often silver-gilt, are characterised by neoclassical forms and figural elements, often fixed with rivets and bolts, and not by the classic soldering method.
Jean Baptiste Claude retired in 1823, and his son Charles Nicholas took over the business. By 1825 he was already purveyor of silverware by appointment to His Majesty the King Louis-Philippe and to the Royal Family of Orleans and he started experimenting with electroplating, a technique he imported from England. Charles Nicolas excelled in the Rococo style, featuring shells and scroll motifs, flowers and richly ornate elements.
Charles Nicholas was succeeded by his son Gustave who worked for the firm from 1856 through 1906. He accepted the most majestic commission ever received by the company: 3000 pieces of solid gold flatware for the Viceroy of Egypt, Said Pacha.
The House of Odiot is still active nowadays, counting on an extraordinary long story and heritage and its pieces are displayed in the most important museums of the world such as the Musée du Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
CONDITION
In Great Condition - No Damage.
SIZE
SAUCE BOATS (X2)
Height: 12cm
Width: 27 x 17cm
Combined Weight: 2640g
SMALL PLATES (X2)
Width: 31cm
Combined Weight: 2130g
LARGE PLATES (X2)
Width: 33cm
Combined Weight: 2430g
LARGE OVAL DISH (X2)
Width: 55 x 40cm
Combined Weight: 4750g
MEDIUM OVAL DISH (X2)
Width: 50 x 36cm
Weight: 3955g
SMALL OVAL DISH (X1)
Width: 44 x 32cm
Weight: 1520g
TUREENS (X2)
Height: 20cm
Width: 32 x 26cm
Combined Weight: 3540g