Cutlery set (4) - .800 silver

Antique Silverware Set with the Coat of Arms of Antwerp – Louis XV Style (4-piece)

A heavy and richly worked solid silver cutlery set in a lively Neo-Rococo/Louis XV style, dating from the Belle Époque (c. 1890–1910). This set consists of two dinner forks and two generous soup or bouillon spoons with characteristic rounded bowls.

Heraldic engraving & French table tradition
The handles are finely decorated on both sides. On the front there is an elegantly chiseled monogram within a rocaille frame. On the reverse side sits a detailed engraved city coat of arms of Antwerp: the heraldic citadel with two hands, placed under a marquis crown and engraved with the official red hatch (keel).
That the coat of arms is engraved on the bulbous back end is in line with the continental tradition (façon française): at the formal dining table the cutlery was laid with the spoon bowls and fork tines facing downward, so that the city arms faced the diners directly.

Specifications
Composition: 4 pieces (2 dinner forks, 2 soup spoons)
Length: 21 cm
Total weight: 344 g (average 86 g per piece, very solid construction)
Silver content: 800/1000 silver (French 2nd grade)
Hallmarks: Minerva 2e titre and French master’s mark in a diamond on the mirror side of the forks

Decoration: Extravagant acanthus leaves, scrolls and rocaille motifs
Origin: France, manufactured for a prominent Antwerp family or institution
Condition: Very good antique condition with preservation of sharp engravings and contours