Edmond Bonnescoeur - Cristallerie de Saint-Louis - Carafe - Cabaret à Liqueur - .950 silver

An exceptional and fully original French silver cabaret set (cabaret à liqueur) from around 1880, combining a signed Parisian silver stand with two pieces of high-quality cobalt overlay glass. In France, such a cabaret set was traditionally used to serve liqueurs, cordials, fortified wines or aromatic table condiments during refined dinners. Highly decorative as well as functional, these sets were symbols of elegance and prestige in late 19th-century French dining culture.

The ensemble consists of a finely crafted silver base and two cobalt-blue carafes in cased glass—deep blue overlaid on white and hand-cut to reveal the underlying layer.

The silver stand was made in Paris by the respected silversmith Edmond Bonnescoeur, active between 1875 and 1890. His maker’s mark, stamped in a rhomboid cartouche, is fully legible. The piece also bears the official French hallmark “Minerva head 1”, certifying solid silver of .950 purity, the highest French silver standard used for luxury tableware. The Minerva hallmark, introduced in 1838, guarantees the authenticity and fineness of the silver.

The silverwork shows elegant repoussé, fan engraving and rich ornamental motifs characteristic of the Napoleon III period. Its sculptural central handle and balanced proportions reflect the finest standards of Parisian craftsmanship.

The carafes are crafted from intense cobalt-blue glass, hand-cut to reveal the milky white layer beneath, producing decorative polka-dot openings and refined optical contrasts. The quality, coloration and cutting technique strongly point to production by Cristallerie de Saint-Louis, one of France’s most prestigious glass manufacturers. Saint-Louis frequently supplied high-end glassware to Parisian silversmiths, including those working with Bonnescoeur.

Together, the silver stand and the carafes form a sophisticated and harmonious liqueur cabaret, fully representative of the excellence of French luxury tableware. The condition is very good: the silver shows light signs of age, and the glass is intact, without cracks or structural damage.

Specification & Dimensions
Weight
Total silver weight: 375 g
Total weight of the set: 1442 g

Silver Stand Dimensions
Height: 27 cm
Width: 24 cm
Depth: 12.5 cm

Carafe Dimensions
Height with stopper: 20 cm
Height without stopper: 17 cm
Base diameter: 9 cm

Authenticity
Maker’s mark of Edmond Bonnescoeur – confirmed and fully legible.
French Minerva head 1 hallmark – certifying .950 silver purity.
Glass style and craftsmanship consistent with Cristallerie de Saint-Louis (c. 1870–1890).