Bidspirit auction | Set of 6 antique French

Set of 6 antique French .950 silver small forks from the 19th century (circa 1884), designed in the elegant Louis XVI Revival style, produced by the renowned Parisian silversmith house Henri Soufflot, bearing original French maker’s marks (Poinçon de Maître) featuring a rising sun and star motif, alongside the official French Minerva Head hallmark confirming solid French silver under official government control, .950/1000 fineness. Total weight: 268.27 grams. - Set of 6 antique French .950 silver small forks from the 19th century (circa 1884), designed in the elegant Louis XVI Revival style, produced by the renowned Parisian silversmith house Henri Soufflot, bearing original French maker’s marks (Poinçon de Maître) featuring a rising sun and star motif, alongside the official French Minerva Head hallmark confirming solid French silver under official government control, .950/1000 fineness. Total weight: 268.27 grams. The set reflects the refined Louis XV / Louis XVI Revival aesthetic with strong French Rococo Revival influences, a style highly fashionable among the Parisian aristocracy and upper bourgeoisie during the Napoleon III period. Each fork is designed with elegant elongated lines and gracefully rounded handles featuring classic French proportions. At the end of each handle appears an engraved decorative monogram within a richly ornamented oval cartouche adorned with beaded borders, foliate motifs, and botanical ornamentation typical of aristocratic French silverware from the 19th century. The silversmithing craftsmanship is exceptionally refined and of very high quality, with meticulous attention to detail and luxurious finishing characteristic of tableware produced for wealthy European families and noble households. Total weight: 268.27 grams. Average weight per fork: approximately 44.5 grams. On the reverse of the fork heads appears the lozenge-shaped maker’s mark associated with the Parisian silversmith house Henri Soufflot, featuring the distinctive rising sun and star symbol characteristic of the workshop. Henri Soufflot was regarded as one of the notable Parisian silversmith houses of the 19th century and became especially well known for producing high-quality French flatware and luxury silver objects of exceptional craftsmanship. Alongside the maker’s mark appears the official French Minerva Head hallmark, used in France from the 19th century onward for the certification and control of silver purity. This hallmark confirms solid French silver of .950/1000 fineness under official assay supervision. The lozenge-shaped maker’s mark further guarantees that the pieces are crafted from solid precious metal rather than silver plate. Condition: Overall very good condition consistent with age, showing signs of use and natural silver patina. Condition of the items is as shown in the photographs.