Odiot Henin - 5pc. Antique French 950 Sterling Silver Louis XVI Tea Set with Serving Tray - Museum Quality!

Direct from Paris:  Direct from a Private Mansion in Paris, a Magnificent 4pc. Antique French 950 Sterling Silver and Vermeil Tea Set by France's Premier French Silversmith Jean-Baptiste Odiot and an accompanying 950 sterling silver serving tray by French silversmith Henin – circa 1890s.  The annals of French decorative arts reserve a place of particular distinction for the House of Odiot, a dynasty of silversmiths whose creations came to define luxury during the 19th century. Among their most celebrated works, the sterling silver tea sets produced during this period represent the absolute zenith of both technical mastery and artistic expression in the métier d'art of silversmithing. These exquisite ensembles, crafted in the superior 950 sterling standard, not only served practical functions in the salons of European aristocracy but also stood as tangible manifestations of cultural refinement and social status.  Henin’s work exemplifies the pinnacle of luxury, precision, and artistic refinement. Specializing in the highest quality 950 sterling silver, Henin’s creations—particularly his serving trays—remain among the most coveted pieces of antique silverware.

The Focus on Quality:  The foundation of Odiot's supremacy in silver tea service production lies in its uncompromising approach to materials and technique. Unlike contemporary workshops that might employ the standard 925 sterling silver, Odiot insisted on working with the purer 950 grade, an alloy containing 95% pure silver with only 5% copper. This formulation, while more challenging to work with due to its softness, yielded objects of exceptional luminosity and resonance. The characteristic warm glow of Odiot silver - neither the cold brilliance of pure silver nor the reddish tint of lower-grade alloys - became a signature of the house. Master craftsmen employed a combination of traditional techniques including repoussé, chasing, and hand-raising to transform these precious sheets of metal into objects of both utility and high art. The process of creating a single tea pot might involve upwards of 200 hours of skilled labor, with specialists dedicating entire careers to perfecting specific elements such as spout formation or hinge mechanisms.

Odiot's tea services, particularly from the Empire through the Second Empire periods, demonstrate an evolution in style that mirrored France's changing political and aesthetic landscapes. Early 19th century examples show the influence of the Napoleonic Egyptian campaign, with sphinx motifs and palmettes adorning the surfaces. The Restoration period saw a return to more overtly royalist symbolism, with fleur-de-lys and other Bourbon imagery discreetly incorporated into the designs. By the time of Napoleon III, Odiot had mastered the art of eclecticism, producing services that might combine Renaissance revival elements with orientalist touches to satisfy the diverse tastes of the Second Empire's nouveau riche clientele. What remained constant across all periods was the extraordinary attention to functional detail - spouts designed to pour without dripping, handles that remained cool to the touch, and lids that fit with such precision they created an audible seal when closed.

Serving European Royalty:  The patronage of European royalty served as both testament to and catalyst for Odiot's preeminence. Napoleon Bonaparte himself commissioned multiple tea services from the firm, including one legendary ensemble that traveled with him during the 1805 campaign and was later gifted to Tsar Alexander I as part of the Treaty of Tilsit negotiations. The Bourbon restoration saw Louis XVIII order an elaborate service featuring his cipher in diamonds (later removed during the July Revolution), while his successor Charles X preferred simpler neoclassical designs. Perhaps most significantly, Odiot became the favored silversmith of Louis-Philippe's bourgeois monarchy, producing tea services that balanced royal grandeur with the more subdued elegance preferred by the citizen king. This royal endorsement created a ripple effect through European courts, with nearly every ruling house of the continent acquiring Odiot services either through direct commission or diplomatic gift exchange.

Awards and Accolades:  International exhibitions served as the proving grounds where Odiot's tea services cemented their reputation as the standard against which all others were measured. The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London's Crystal Palace featured an Odiot tea service that drew particular admiration for its combination of technical perfection and artistic daring. Contemporary accounts describe how the service's intricate grapevine motif, with each tendril and leaf rendered in high relief, appeared to grow organically from the surface of the silver. The Paris Exposition Universelle of 1855 saw Odiot awarded the highest honors for a tea service that incorporated innovative heating technology - a silver spirit lamp burner that could be adjusted to maintain ideal steeping temperatures. These public triumphs translated directly into commercial success, with wealthy industrialists and financiers across Europe and America queuing to acquire services that bore the same hallmarks as those in royal collections.

Odiot’s Magnificent Tea Sets:  The composition of a complete Odiot tea service reveals much about both the artistry and the social rituals it was designed to serve. A grand service might include up to thirty separate pieces: the teapot proper, a hot water jug, sugar bowl with tongs, creamer, waste bowl, and multiple sizes of tea caddies for different varieties of leaves. The most luxurious examples added matching biscuit boxes, bonbon dishes, and even miniature urns for storing tea samples. Each element followed a unified design vocabulary while being tailored to its specific function. The sugar tongs, for instance, might feature delicate shell grips that echoed the gadrooning on the bowls' rims, while the tea caddy spoons could incorporate tiny seed pearl details at their terminals. This holistic approach to design ensured visual harmony across the service while allowing each piece to shine individually when used in the elaborate tea ceremonies of the period.

Odiot's mastery of surface decoration set its tea services apart from competitors. The firm employed a team of specialist chasers who could render everything from mythological scenes to botanical studies with photographic precision in silver. A particularly celebrated technique involved the use of differential polishing to create tonal variations - background areas might be given a matte finish through careful oxidation while central motifs were burnished to a mirror shine. Gilding, when applied, was never used indiscriminately but rather as strategic highlights - perhaps on the interior of a spout to show the liquid's golden hue or along the rim where it would catch the light during pouring. The result was a dynamic play of textures and reflections that brought the silver to life as it moved through the ritual of tea service.

The functional engineering of Odiot's tea wares demonstrated an equal commitment to excellence. Spouts were scientifically designed to create laminar flow - the tea poured in a smooth, unbroken stream without dripping. Handles, often of ivory or exotic woods to insulate against heat, were ergonomically shaped to fit comfortably in the hand whether the user was seated at table or standing to pour. Lids incorporated clever counterweights so they would stay upright when opened rather than flopping backward dangerously. Even the placement of decorative elements served practical purposes - raised borders around tray edges prevented sliding of cups, while intricate piercing on sugar bowls helped maintain dryness in humid climates. This marriage of beauty and utility epitomized the French concept of "le luxe utile" - useful luxury.

Surviving account books from the Odiot workshop reveal the staggering costs involved in producing these services. A grand tea ensemble in the 1840s might command a price equivalent to a substantial Parisian townhouse, with the raw silver content representing only about a third of the total cost. The balance went to the months or even years of skilled labor required for its creation. Clients understood they were purchasing not just objects but the accumulated expertise of generations of craftsmen - a value proposition that remained compelling even as industrialization made cheaper alternatives available.

The cultural significance of Odiot tea services extended far beyond their material worth. In an age when the taking of tea represented one of the primary rituals of social interaction, the quality of a household's tea service communicated volumes about its status and taste. An Odiot service announced that its owner belonged to the absolute pinnacle of society - someone who valued tradition but appreciated innovation, who understood both art and utility. This symbolic weight explains why so many services were commissioned to mark important life events - marriages, inheritances, diplomatic appointments - and why they so often feature in contemporary portraits and interior scenes as carefully arranged status symbols.

Henin’s Serving Trays:  Henin’s tea service serving trays represent the zenith of Henin’s artistry. Designed for both practicality and display, they ranged from understated elegance to lavishly decorated showpieces. Some featured mirrored surfaces to reflect candlelight during evening gatherings, while others incorporated gilded accents to enhance their visual grandeur. The handles, often crafted with ergonomic precision, were sometimes embellished with ivory or exotic wood inlays, ensuring both beauty and comfort in use. The most elaborate examples included detachable stands, allowing the trays to be elevated as centerpieces during formal dining occasions. 

Beyond their aesthetic appeal, Henin’s trays were engineered for longevity. The high silver content resisted tarnishing, while the reinforced rims and balanced weight distribution ensured durability. Many surviving examples remain in impeccable condition today, a testament to the superior materials and construction techniques employed in their creation. Collectors and museums alike prize these pieces not only for their historical significance but also for their enduring functionality—proof that true craftsmanship transcends time.  Henin’s legacy is defined by impeccable craftsmanship, distinguished royal and aristocratic patronage, and recognition at prestigious international exhibitions.

The Legacy of Odiot: Today, Odiot tea services occupy pride of place in museum collections from the Louvre to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Auction prices for complete, documented ensembles regularly reach into the millions, a testament to their enduring appeal. Yet perhaps their greatest legacy lies in how they continue to influence contemporary silversmiths. The exacting standards Odiot established for proportion, balance, and functional elegance remain the gold (or rather silver) standard against which all luxury tableware is judged. In an age of mass production, these handcrafted masterpieces remind us of the heights that can be achieved when art and craft unite in the service of beauty.

From the gleam of their 950 silver surfaces to the perfection of their engineered details, Odiot's 19th century tea services represent not just the pinnacle of French silversmithing but one of the most complete syntheses of artistic vision and technical mastery ever achieved in the decorative arts. They stand as enduring testaments to an era when luxury was measured not in ostentation but in perfection of form and execution, when even so mundane an act as pouring tea could be elevated to high art through the alchemy of skilled hands and precious materials. In studying these magnificent creations, we gain insight not just into the history of silversmithing but into the very soul of 19th century European culture at its most refined.

Set Specifications:  This amazing 4pc. tea set by Odiot and the accompanying sterling silver serving tray by Henin are stunning examples of the quality and craftsmanship for which the firms were internationally known.  There are no monograms on any of the pieces and each piece has been meticulously restored to like new condition.   The elegant Teapot is roughly 18.00cm. high to the top of the lid, approximately 24.00cm. across from the tip of the spout to the outside of the handle and weights 824 grams. The Coffee Pot stands roughly 24.00cm. high to the top of the lid, is approximately 20.50cm. across from the tip of the spout to the outside of the handle and weights 739 grams. The elegant Sugar Bowl with gold plated (vermeil) interior stands approximately 15.50cm. high to the top of the lid, roughly 15.50cm. across to the outside of the handles and weights 540 grams. The elegant Cream Pitcher with gold plated (vermeil) interior stand approximately 12.50m. high to the top of the spout, is roughly 17.00cm. across from the tip of the spout to the outside of the handle and weights 310 grams. Each of the above bears the French Government's Head of the Minerva 1 hallmark certifying a minimum of 950 sterling silver in addition to the Odiot sterling silver manufacturer's hallmark.

The massive serving tray is approximately 55.00cm. in length to the outside of the handles, 35.00cm. across at its widest point and weights approximately 2,300 grams. It bears the French Government's Head of the Minerva 1 hallmark, certifying a minimum of 950 sterling silver, in addition to the Henin sterling silver manufacturer's hallmark. Each piece also comes with its own anti-tarnish storage wrap for easy storage.