Empire Wedding Tazza - Centrepiece - Dijon, 1823

Elegant French silver tazza (coupe de mariage) in neoclassical (Empire) style, raised on a circular foot and fitted with finely cast panther-head handles. The rim is engraved “A. Monjard – F. Grandnée”, indicating a personal wedding piece.

Made of high-grade silver (950/1000). Hallmarked with a Hercules head and number “19” (1819–1838), corresponding to the assay office of Dijon (Côte-d'Or), a “vieille femme” département mark, and a lozenge-shaped maker’s mark “ME” with a spade above and a pellet below.

Maker: Edme Menevalle (registered 1823, active until at least 1848).

Dimensions: height 12 cm; width with handles 18 cm.
Weight: 180 g.

Note: Edme Menevalle acquired land near Dijon with the intention of establishing a utopian “phalanstery” inspired by Charles Fourier; the project was never realised, and the site later became the Delaborde barracks.