Odiot Henin - 5pc Antique French 950 Sterling Silver Tea Set
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.
