French Empire, Cobalt Glass and Silver Centrepiece

This oval jardiniere which has been crafted from silver and cobalt blue glass dates to France at the end of the 19th Century. The neoclassical jardiniere features Roman or Greek goddesses holding grapes facing toward a central wreath supported by a pair of putti. The four feet of the jardiniere appear to be depicting winged Pharaohs and to the narrow edges of the piece are depictions of lions. The piece is struck with the French standard hallmark for .950 silver, indicating it is 950 out of 1000 parts pure silver. There is a diamond shaped cartouche hallmark present for the maker, however this is illegible and as such we are unsure of its manufacturer. Dating to the 1870s the piece has remained in relatively good condition with some minor losses. The hand of one of the goddesses is missing as are some other small areas of silver detailing, and there is a hairline crack to the inside which is stable but would prevent the piece from being watertight. Despite these small losses the piece presents beautifully and would look exceptional filled with stone-fruit or strawberries! 

Measures - 23cm W x 15.5cm D x 11.5cm H