Catalog: Antiques: Decorative Art: Metals (282)

Fabulous and extremely rare hand-forged iron trade sign in the form of a pretzel. The sign retains an old gilt surface. There is a strong trace of red, yellow and blue paint on the back side and edges of the pretzel, no doubt the colors that were used on the wall or backboard to which the sign was attached through the 13 mounting holes. There also appears to be a red layer underneath the gold. This layer was probably intended to be an undercoating to give the gilding more depth. I don't think the pretzel was originally red and then gilded later. In any case, the gilt surface has considerable age, and probably dates from at least the late 19th century. Approximately 10% of the gilt surface shows wear (nearly all of it on the left side.

Origin: America, found in south-central Pennsylvania, circa mid-19th century. Condition: see paint description above, no cracks. Size: 18-1/2" x 15-1/2" x 1".

A delightful early 19th century French silver tastevin featuring a 1770 Louis XV coin and a wonderfully decorated handle. The handle decoration depicts a man seated atop a wine barrel grasping a wine bottle in one hand and a Cupid's arrow in the other. The design is completed with the legend "Vive l'amour et le vin" ("Long live love and wine."). This type of handle was developed in the early 1700s and was used mostly in the Burgundy region. The use of real silver coins as a decorative element is seen in tastevins dating from the mid-1700s onwards. The handle is stamped with 19th century hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1840. Condition: excellent; 2 pinpoints to the bowl and a slight ding along the edge opposite the handle. Dimensions: 3-1/4 x 4-1/4 x 7/8 inches. Weight: 95.0 grams.

A tour-de-force first standard (950/1000 pure silver) tastevin by silversmith Stanislas Pollet celebrating Napoleon’s great victory at the Battle of Wagram. The tastevin is inset with a Napoleonic silver medal surrounded by fleur-de-lis engraving. The outer edges are enhanced with ornate strapwork (a technique particularly mastered by Pollet) depicting fleur-de-lis and acanthus leaves. The entire design is set off with a pair of magnificently cast and engraved dolphins forming the handle.

Napoleon, never particularly known as a shrinking violet, enjoyed commissioning medals from the Paris Mint to celebrate his victories and various life landmarks. The front of the medal (showing from the top of the tastevin) depicts the river god of the Danube being forced by the Emperor to carry a wooden pontoon bridge laden with French cannons over the river towards the Imperial Austrian capital, Vienna. The Latin inscription translates as, “Danubius, indignant at the breach/Battle of Essling/May 22, 1809.” The reverse (showing from the bottom of the tastevin) depicts the French army marching across the bridge at Wagram, urged on by the goddess of Victory carrying a laurel wreath and pointing the way. The inscription translates as, “Again crossing at the same place/July 5, 1809.” The Battle of Essling was the first defeat of the French army under Napoleon’s direct control, but that fact is obscured by combining it with the Battle of Wagram, just forty-four days later. This latter battle was one of the emperor’s greatest victories and was the largest battle in European history up to that time. The medal was created at the Paris Mint by the medalist Nicolas-Guy-Antoine-Brenet under the supervision of Baron Dominique Vivant Denon, who was Napoleon’s artistic director and to whom the emperor entrusted the Louvre after turning it into a museum. A single copy of the medal was struck in gold for Napoleon’s personal collection. Silver medals were given as gifts to the emperor’s friends and diplomats and bronze versions were available to those of lower rank.

• Origin: France, 1899-1903
• Condition: excellent, sharp detail
• Dimensions: 3-1/2” x 4-5/8” x 1-1/4”
• Weight: 201.4 grams

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1873, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.5 grams.

A superb pair of bronze candlesticks from the Jockey Club de Paris. The candlesticks’ trefoil bases are decorated with riding equipment and tackle interspersed with the rosettes awarded to race winners. The edges of the bases are finished with borders that suggest horseshoes. Slender columns rise to a central element featuring three fully three-dimension horseheads capped by a spiraling ribbon engraved “Jockey Club”. Shields bearing coats of arms decorate the candle sockets.

Founded in 1833 ostensibly to promote horse racing, the club was in fact the most exclusive Anglos-French social club in France and among the most prestigious in the world. With the Emperor’s half-brother serving as president, the membership in the 19th century was strictly limited to 297 gentlemen and included the reigning kings of England, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Origin: France, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 8-3/4” tall.

Extremely rare pair of Victorian cast iron flamingo garden ornaments. Dating from the late 19th century, these flamingos are exceptional. I've seen many later versions in concrete or plastic, but never another pair this old or made of cast iron. These birds appear to be enjoying their third or fourth layer of paint, but the newest layer appears to be a good 50 years old. The outermost and innermost layers are nearly the same color, with an intervening layer of softer pink. The most recent painter splattered some of the pink paint onto the green bases. Each bird was cast in two parts. The legs are screwed into openings at the bottom of the birds and then into the cast bases. The detail is outstanding, with even the bases having a rocking texture. I cannot find a signature, but there could possibly be one underneath the paint.

Origin: American, possibly by Fisk or another iron foundry of equal stature, late 19th century. Condition: see description of paint history above; no missing parts or cracks; rust appropriate to age. Size: 15" and 19.75" tall.

Six elegant Victorian fruit or desert knives with mother of pearl handles and sterling silver ferules with triple-banded decoration in a vine motif. The scimitar-shaped blades are silverplate and are marked "A. Stinnells Co., Inc." American, circa 1890. Excellent condition; one blade has a very small spot of wear to the plating. 6" long.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1876, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTÉGÉ LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.9 grams.

Very rare Imperial Russian silver child's fork with vermeil and engraved floral decoration. In fact, I've never before seen a piece of Russian children's flatware. The maker's hallmark on the back is slightly obscured by the design, but the assayer's mark (AA/1895), the standard mark (84), and the city mark (Moscow) are very clear.

Origin: Moscow, 1895. Condition: mint. Size: 4-3/4" long.

A fine early 19th century silver tastevin in the 17th century Burgundian style, inset with a Louis XIV silver ecu coin. The coin is surrounded by a “couronne” of 27 perles from which extend elongated “godrons”. These elongated grooves, without any corresponding circular grooves typically meant the tastevin was intended for use only with white wines. The godrons are further enhanced with small bunches of grapes. The handle, in a stylized design of two entwined snakes, with the heads and beaks of ducks, is also typical of 17th century tastevins. The rim is engraved with the name of the original owner, Vincent Nuits. The tastevin was created by the Orfevre Parrod, an important Dijon silver maker founded in 1816, and is hallmarked appropriately.

After the final defeat of Napoleon, the Bourbon monarchy was restored to France, and reminders of the previous reigns appeared everywhere in French decorative arts. This coin, dating to 1652, depicts the boy king Louis XIV surrounded by the Latin inscription translated as “Louis XIV, by grace of God, king of France and Navarre”. The reverse is decorated with the royal crown over a shield of fleurs-de-lys. Though a 17th century tastevin would never have been made with a coin in the bottom, the combination of these two elements was a masterful stroke by Parrod and makes this tastevin a particularly desirable example.

Origin: Dijon, France, ca. 1840. Condition: ecellent, sharp detail. Size: 2-13/16” diameter (excluding handle); 3/4” tall. Weight: 72.7 grams.

Gorgeous oval bronze jewel box from Russia's Imperial era, the top decorated with opaque champleve enamels. The box is decorated around the bottom edge with a row of cast beads. This decorative element is repeated on the lid. The lid is decorated with typically Russian arabesques worked in five shades of enamel. Exposed areas of bronze around the enameling is further decorated with floral and bright-cut engraving. The interior of the box retains its original royal blue silk velvet lining. The style of enameling, as well as the overal appearance of the box suggests it was more likely made in the Moscow area, rather in the more Westernized area around St. Petersburg.

Origin: Russia, circa 1870. Condition: excellent, old patina, no enamel damage; the lining shows appropriate wear. Size: 5" x 4-1/4" x 3-1/4" high.

A lovely Victorian sterling silver sugar sifter in Whiting’s 1882 “Antique Lily Engraved” pattern. The simply-shaped handle is decorated with bright-cut engraving of foliage with a spray of lilies-of-the-valley cascading across the end. The bowl is matte gilt and pierced in a pleasant design that does not compete with the restrained decoration of the handle. Sugar sifters were used to sprinkle sugar over fruit during the dessert service, and are not terribly common. The reverse has a period inscription, “Wade”, and is stamped with Whiting’s hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1885. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, gilding intact. Size: 5-7/8” long. Weight: 25.0 grams.

A very attractive late 19th century first standard (950/1000 pure silver) wine taster by Parisian silversmith Louis Coignet. The tastevin is decorated in the Bourgogne style with an applied handle in snake form. The serpent is beautifully decorated with engraved scales and eyes. The sides are enhanced with repousse and chased decoration of grape clusters and vine leaves. This example is classic form, but has a very steep convex bottom and no “godrons” or “perles” along the sides. These adjustments to the style suggest the tastevin was specifically intended for use with white wines.

Origin: France, 1889-1893. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Dimensions: 3 x 4-1/16 in. Weight: 70.5 gr.

A classic 19th century French 2nd standard (900/1000 pure silver) tastevin, inset at the base with a 1702 coin bearing the likeness of King Louis XIV surrounded by the legend translated as "Louis XIV by grace of god King of France and Navarre." The bowl of the tastevin is finished with the typical arrangement of "perles" and elongated "godrons" designed to create reflections in the wine to better judge its color and clarity. The handle is formed from a pair of intertwined snakes grasping an apple in their mouths, an allusion to the Garden of Eden. The handle is stamped with appropriate French hallmarks and with an unidentified master's mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, a few extremely minor nicks at the rim. Dimensions: 2-13/16" diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 58.1 grams.

A classic second standard (800/1000 pure) silver tastevin from the Loire Valley of France. The origins of tastevins can often be identified by the tastevin’s shape. In this case, the bowl is rather shallow and completely without decoration. The handle is formed in the shape of a thin, curvy snake, but is worked without extra decoration such as scales or details to the head. This example is rather early, as is evidenced by signs of hand hammering and the small lathe mark in the middle of the bowl. The bottom is stamped with the original owner’s name, P. Roux. These classic tastevins from the Loire Valley are charming for their simplicity. Stamped with French silver marks and an unidentified maker's mark.

• Origin: Loire Valley, France, ca. 1840
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-7/8” diameter (excluding handle)
• Weight: 29.9 grams

Outstanding brass match holder the pocket formed in the shape of a shield and punch-decorated in a stars and stripes pattern. The pocket is surmounted by a punch-decorated American eagle underneath the motto “In God We Trust”. This motto was adopted in 1863 as a subtle government reminder during the Civil War that God was on the side of the Union troops fighting to end the evil of slavery. The backplate has a punchwork border and also a hole for hanging.

Origin: America, ca. 1860s. Condition: excellent, all original, nice patina. Size: 3-15/16” x 2-1/2” x 5/8” deep.

A very attractive French silver (1st standard=950/1000 pure silver) tastevin, the bottom inset with a 1785 silver coin showing the bust of King Louis XVI. This tastevin departs slightly from the traditional form, with the fluted “godrons” placed immediately around the coin and the sides finished with very nice repousse decoration of grapes, vines and leaves. The tastevin is finished with a single coiled snake handle. Tastevins set with royal coins seem to have been popular during various times in the 19th century when France was ruled over by a king or emperor. Tastevins with Louis XVI coins are not often encountered, however. The tastevin is stamped with French silver marks and with an unidentified master silversmith mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 7.9 x 10.5 cm (3-1/8 x 4-1/8 in). Weight: 105.4 gr.

Lovely 84 standard silver pickle fork with traditional engraved decoration on both the front and back of the handle, and on the back of the tines. Fully hallmarked for Moscow, 1895. The assayer's mark is that of A. Sevyer. The maker's mark is "NA" (transliterated).

Origin: Moscow, Russia, 1895. Condition: excellent, a tiny bend at the tip of one tine. Size: 4-1/4" long.

A very finely-made coin silver pastry or cake server, the handle decorated with a spray of flowers in the Aesthetic style. The blade has ornately shaped sholders and wonderful bright-cut engraving. The back of the handle has a period 3-letter monogram "MSS" and is marked "Pure Coin Pat. App. For". The retailer's mark is "Hutchinson & Connell".

Origin: America, ca. 1860. Condition: excellent, a very slight bend at the very tip of the blade and light surface wear, sharp details, traces of original gilding on blade. Size: 8-7/8" long. Weight: 70.0 grams.

Elegant Napoleon III ivory letter opener and book mark with a French silver handle with repousse decoration. The piece serve as a paper cutter or letter opener, but the double blade can slip over the edge of a page to serve as a book mark. The handle is decorated in a foral pattern and has a reserve which was never monogramed. The end has a loop so that the opener/mark could have a ribbon attached or so that it could be worn from a chatelaine. The handle is marked with French silver hallmarks.

Origin: France, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, a tiny nick at the very point of the ivory. Size: 5-29/32" long.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS ITEM CANNOT BE SHIPPED OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form and the bottom inset with a silver coin from the reign of Louis XV. The sides of the tastevin are decorated with the traditional raised "perles" and recessed "cupules" for viewing the depth of color in a wine. The coin, dating to 1726, depicts the profile of the king surrounded by the legend "Louis XV, by grace of God, king of France and Navarre." The reverse of the coin can be seen from the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is completed with a handle in the form of a single coiled snake. Stamped with an illegible maker's mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, sharp detail to the tastevin, typical wear to the coin. Dimensions: 3-5/16" x 4-5/16" x 1". Weight: 95.4 grams.

A classic 19th century French silver tastevin of traditional form by master silversmith Alexandre Vauger. This example is of small size, intended for use in evaluating cognac, Armagnac or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the “perles” and “godrons” found on the walls of a wine taster, a cognac taster more accurately reflects the liquid’s color using a smooth surface. Similarly, cognac tasters are smaller than wine tasters because the alcohol is considerably stronger and a smaller taste is more appropriate. The bottom of the interior features a partial image of Hercules flanked by female figures representing “Liberty” and “Equality” that once appeared on the 5-franc coin of the Third Republic. The back of the coin, dated 1873, is visible on the bottom of the tastevin. The taster is finished with a classic engraved double serpent handle, the heads grasping the apple of temptation.

Accomplished French silversmiths prided themselves on the ability to raise an entire tastevin from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising the tastevin with the words “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered this skill stopped working in 1968.

This tastevin is stamped with French silver hallmarks and has the master silversmith’s mark for Alexandre Vauger, who worked in Paris 1884-1887.

Origin: France, 1884-87. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 48 x 66 mm (1-7/8 x 2-5/8 in). Weight: 30.9 grams.

Rare hammered brass three-handled loving cup or wedding cup from Russia's Imperial era. The tapering form is nicely accented with forged strap handles attached to the sides with copper rivets. The bottom is stamped with the Imperial Romanov double eagle and the maker's name.

Origin: Russia, ca. 1880. Condition: excellent, no polishing. Size: 4" tall.

A fine first-standard (950/1000 pure) silver tastevin, the bottom inset with a silver 5-franc coin from the reign of Louis Philippe. The coin has good detail, the front showing a bust of the king in profile, while the bottom shows a laurel wreath enclosing the words “5 Francs/1846”. The coin is surrounded by repousse decoration of angled godrons, small convex perles and larger concave cupules. The varying shapes were meant to reflect light through the wine to more accurately judge its color and clarity. The circular cupules and perles were used for red wines and the elongated godrons for white. The handle is in the form of two entwined snakes grasping an apple between their open jaws. The style of handle and the relatively steep sides of the bowl is typical of Burgundian tastevins. The tastevin is marked with the 1st standard “Minerve” hallmark and an illegible maker’s mark.

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent, sharp detail. Size: 3-1/4” diameter (excluding handle); 1” high. Weight: 83.7 grams.

An elegant sterling silver soup ladle in Whiting’s 1890 “Old King” pattern. The shell and acanthus leaf design elements of the handle appeared in many flatware variations since the Georgian era, and has become an established classic for its restrained elegance. The bowl is parcel gilt for nice contrast. The back of the ladle is stamped with the retailer’s mark for Theodore B. Starr. Starr had agreements with several major silversmiths who provided the store with fine silver to which they applied the retailer’s mark rather than the manufacturer’s.

Origin: America, ca. 1895. Condition: excellent, sharp detail, light fading to the original gilding, no monogram. Size: 13-/4” long. Weight: 218.0 grams.

Outstanding Victorian silverplate napkin ring decorated in the Aesthetic or Japonesque taste. The surface is encrusted with decoration representing flying cranes, crysanthemums, fans, and bamboo. The plain surface of the fan was intended for a monogram, but the napkin ring was never engraved.

Origin: America, circa 1870. Condition: excellent, all original, sharp detail. Size: 1-9/16" diameter; 1-1/8" wide.

A very nice small-size silver plate wine taster in the classical style. The bottom features the typical convex bottom surrounded by concave "godrons" adn "cupules." intended to create high and low spots to better appreciate the color of the wine as light is reflected through it. The open shape also allows the bouquet to develop quickly so the wine can be tested easily. The snake handle is generally seen on tastevins from the region of Bourgogne. The tastevin bears an unidentified maker’s mark.

• Origin: France, ca. 1890.
• Dimensions: 2 1/4" diameter excluding handle.
• Condition: excellent, no dings, sharp detail.

An unusually nice silverplated studs box, the top decorated with repousse chrysanthemums. The only clue to the box’s purpose of holding a gentleman’s shirt studs and cufflinks is the figural stud finial on the top. The bottom is marked for the Middletown Plate Co. This is a much more decorative example than most.

Origin: America, 1876-99. Condition: excellent, hardly any wear to the plating. Size; 2-5/8” diameter; 1-3/4” tall.

Fabulous figural silverplated shellfish server. Of the highest quality, this piece is formed as two mussel shells flanking an oyster shell, with a double strap handle reminiscent of seaweed. The bottom is marked with a "N & W" hallmark, along with the pattern number "424" and the registry number "333221" indicating a date of 1899.

Origin: England, 1899. Condition: virtually mint. Size: 11" x 11" x 5-1/4" high.

Victorian silver plated sugar tongs in the Gothic Revival taste. Each of the twisted sides is decorated with a woman (who looks curiously like a nun) holding a child, and an angel-like figure. The oval tips are gilt.

Origin: probably Continental, circa 1880. Condition: excellent. Size: 4-3/8" long.

A very fine Victorian silver plated flip-top card case, both sides heavily decorated with nautical themes. The front features a scene of a sloop in roiling waves passing a lighthouse in the background. The scene is surrounded by a border of seashells and seaweed, and a bare-breasted mermaid watches from one of the lower corners. The back of the is decorated in a pattern of waterlilies and foliage. The detail in the design is superb--one can even just make out the stars and stripes of the ship's American flag. The case is fitted with two pairs of loops so is can be worn suspended from a heavy chain.

Origin: America, ca. 1890. Condition: some plating wear along the edge near one of the chain loops and an area of dings on the bottom edge; the design areas are all in excellent condition. Size: 2-2/1" x 3-3/4" x 3/8".

Very fine ornate sterling silver server for either fish or ice cream. The handle is covered with a pattern of hibiscus flowers and swirling foliage. The floral element is echoed in the beautifully engraved floral pattern on the blade. The blade is finished off with a very ornate outline. Many American silversmiths did not mark their names until the early 20th century, and the back is marked only "Sterling."

Origin: America, ca. 1885. Condition: excellent, very sharp details, no monogram. Size: 11-3/8" long. Weight: 96.0 grams.

Very elegant Neoclassical sterling silver server, ideal for either pastry or fish. The handle is decorated simply with banded reeds and laurel boughs, and the pierced blade is decorated with engraved laurel boughs and acanthus leaves. The back of the blade is marked with the French export silver hallmarks for 1879.

Origin: France, circa 1879. Condition: excellent, sharp details, period monogram "RS" on back side of handle. Size: 10-3/4" long. Weight: app. 5.5 troy ounces.

A very pretty sterling silver berry or casserole spoon by Durgin. The handle is nicely engraved in an ivy pattern, while the gilt bowl is engraved with a flock of butterflies. The back is stamped with Durgin's earliest hallmark.

Origin: America, ca. 1870. Condition: excellent, no monogram, sharp detail, gilding faded to pale lemon. Size: 9" long. Weight: 59.0 grams.

A lovely pair of imperial Russian spoons, the backs of the bowls decorated with finely engraved scenes depicting portions of the Arsenal and the State Historical Museum on Moscow’s Red Square. The handles are finished in the traditional twist motif. The surfaces are gilt, and the engraving is worked through the gilding in some areas and more lightly in others, allowing a nice contrast of colors within the design. Each is fully hallmarked for Moscow, dated 1889 and with the maker’s mark for Ivan Alexeyev (1876-1912).

Origin: Moscow, 1889. Condition: excellent, gilding intact. Size: 5” long. Weight: 27.2 grams (the pair).

An elegant first standard (950/1000 pure silver) French silver tastevin in typical 18th century Burgundian style. Rather than with the typical "perles" and fluted "godrons", the bowl of this tastevin is decorated with repousse grape leaves and berries in the 18th century style. This treatment is sometimes seen in tastevins made by Parrod, but the particular decoration is different than any other we've seen. Similarly, the handle, in the form of two duck heads grasping an apple is a very exaggerated variation of the usual form seen on tastevins from Lyon. The base is fully hallmarked and has an unidentified silversmith's mark "M tête grec D".

Origin: France, ca. 1850. Condition: excellent. Dimensions: 3-3/16" diameter (excluding handle). Weight: 72.3 grams.