Direct From Monaco: Direct from a private residence in Monaco, a stunning 19th century, Louis XVI covered sterling silver vegetable server by the world’s premier French silversmith “Puiforcat”, currently owned by Hermes and there are no monograms on any of the pieces, circa early 1890s. The history of French decorative arts during the 19th century would be incomplete without acknowledging the extraordinary contributions of Puiforcat, a Maison whose creations came to define the very essence of luxury silverware. Established in Paris in 1820 by Jean-Baptiste Fuchs, who later adopted the Puiforcat name from his mother's family, the firm quickly distinguished itself through its exceptional interpretations of Louis XVI style silver, particularly in the creation of magnificent serving tureens that embodied the perfect synthesis of neoclassical aesthetics and technical perfection. These monumental works of functional art, often weighing several kilograms and standing as centerpieces of aristocratic dining tables across Europe, represented not merely vessels for food service but tangible manifestations of France's cultural refinement and artistic supremacy. This magnificent 3-piece sterling silver tureen is a testament to Puiforcat's unparalleled craftsmanship in these iconic tureens, the royal patronage that elevated their status, the prestigious awards recognizing their excellence, their significant association with the Hermès luxury group, and the defining characteristics that made these pieces among the most coveted examples of French silverwork.
Focus on Quality: The foundation of Puiforcat's supremacy in tureen production lies in its uncompromising commitment to material quality and stylistic purity. The firm's insistence on using 950 sterling silver, containing 95% pure silver rather than the standard 925 alloy, resulted in pieces with exceptional luminosity and resonance that became hallmarks of Puiforcat production. This superior silver content presented particular technical advantages for the creation of Louis XVI style pieces, allowing for sharper definition of classical motifs and greater durability in large serving vessels. Master craftsmen employed traditional techniques including hand-raising, chasing, and planishing to transform sheets of this precious metal into flawless neoclassical forms, with a single tureen often requiring more than 200 hours of skilled labor to complete. The process began with the careful formation of the oval body, hammered into shape from a single sheet of silver to ensure perfect symmetry and structural integrity, followed by the meticulous application of decorative elements that characterized the Louis XVI style - delicate fluting, beaded borders, and classical motifs drawn from ancient Greek and Roman sources.
Puiforcat’s Louis XVI Style: Puiforcat's interpretation of the Louis XVI aesthetic for its 19th century tureens demonstrates both remarkable fidelity to 18th century prototypes and subtle innovations that reflected evolving dining customs. The basic form remained true to classical principles - oval bodies with straight or slightly flared sides, restrained ornamentation, and elegant proportions that echoed the architectural purity of the period. However, Puiforcat introduced technical refinements that enhanced functionality without compromising visual purity. The firm developed a specialized hinge mechanism for the domed lids that allowed for smooth, one-handed operation while maintaining an airtight seal to preserve food temperature and aroma. The interiors were typically gilded using a mercury process that created a durable gold surface, protecting delicate sauces from direct contact with silver while creating a striking visual contrast when the tureen was opened during service. This attention to both form and function resulted in pieces that were as practical as they were beautiful, capable of withstanding the rigors of daily use in aristocratic households while maintaining their impeccable appearance.
Serving European Royalty: Royal and aristocratic patronage played a crucial role in establishing Puiforcat's reputation as a premier silversmith. King Louis-Philippe commissioned several important services from Puiforcat, including a magnificent pair of tureens for the Tuileries Palace that featured discreet fleur-de-lys motifs incorporated into their neoclassical decoration. The Orléans family became devoted patrons, as did numerous members of the Russian aristocracy who frequented Paris during the 19th century. Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia acquired an elaborate dining service that included four monumental tureens, each decorated with different classical themes representing the seasons. These royal commissions not only validated Puiforcat's artistic merit but also served as powerful advertisements, attracting wealthy clients from across Europe and America who sought to emulate aristocratic taste. The firm's order books from the 1860s reveal commissions from prominent banking families, industrial magnates, and cultural luminaries, all drawn to Puiforcat's reputation for creating silver that combined historical reverence with technical innovation.
Awards and Accolades: International exhibitions provided Puiforcat with prestigious platforms to showcase its Louis XVI style tureens. The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London featured a pair of tureens that demonstrated the firm's exceptional skill in executing classical ornamentation with machine-like precision while maintaining the warmth of hand craftsmanship. Contemporary accounts describe how visitors would gather around these pieces to admire the perfection of their fluted surfaces and the harmony of their proportions. The Paris Exposition Universelle of 1855 included tureens with innovative heat retention features hidden within their elegant forms - copper liners that could be preheated without affecting the exterior silver surfaces. These technical achievements earned Puiforcat a gold medal and glowing reviews from international critics, with one British journalist remarking that the tureens "elevated the humble soup vessel to the realm of high art." The firm's success at these exhibitions translated into commercial triumph, with waiting lists for commissioned pieces often stretching several years as discerning clients sought to acquire Puiforcat's creations for their own dining rooms.
Association with Hermès: The association between Puiforcat and the Hermès luxury group, which began in the early 20th century and culminated in Hermès acquiring the brand in 1993, represents a significant chapter in the firm's history. This partnership brought Puiforcat's silversmithing tradition under the umbrella of one of France's most prestigious luxury brands while maintaining its distinctive aesthetic. Hermès maintained Puiforcat's commitment to the Louis XVI style while incorporating modern functional improvements to the tureens, such as refined hinge mechanisms and improved weight distribution for easier serving. The collaboration resulted in limited edition pieces that combined Puiforcat's historical designs with Hermès' legendary attention to detail, creating objects that appealed to collectors of both traditional silverware and modern design. Under Hermès' stewardship, Puiforcat's archive of historical patterns, including its prized Louis XVI models, were carefully preserved and occasionally reissued for special commissions, ensuring the continuity of this important aspect of French decorative arts heritage.
Puiforcat’s Louis XVI Tureens: The construction of Puiforcat's Louis XVI style tureens reveals remarkable technical sophistication beneath their elegant surfaces. The oval form, while aesthetically pleasing, presented significant engineering challenges that Puiforcat's craftsmen solved through innovative solutions. The long sides were reinforced with internal ribs to prevent warping under the weight of contents, while the short ends were carefully weighted to ensure balance when serving. Handles, often shaped as classical foliate motifs or fluted loops, were ergonomically designed to provide secure grip even when wearing formal gloves. The domed lids required particular skill to create, with craftsmen carefully calculating the curve to ensure perfect proportions and visual harmony with the base. The most sophisticated examples included features like internal racks to keep delicate foods separated or removable strainers for serving clear soups - all seamlessly integrated into designs that maintained their classical purity. These technical considerations, invisible to the casual observer, demonstrated Puiforcat's complete mastery of both the artistic and practical aspects of silversmithing.
Puiforcat's mastery of surface decoration set its Louis XVI style tureens apart from competitors. While adhering to the restraint characteristic of the style, the firm's craftsmen employed subtle textural variations to create visual interest. Fluted surfaces might alternate between matte and polished finishes to accentuate the play of light. Gilding was applied with precision to highlight delicate beading or classical motifs like Greek keys and laurel wreaths. The finials, often shaped as urns, pineapples (traditional symbols of hospitality), or floral bouquets, were executed with botanical accuracy that reflected Puiforcat's commitment to perfection in even the smallest details. This careful balance of ornament and restraint resulted in pieces that commanded attention through refinement rather than ostentation, perfectly embodying the Louis XVI style's essential character while meeting the practical demands of formal dining service.
Innovative Production Methods: The workshop methods that produced these masterpieces reflected a tradition of craftsmanship that Puiforcat maintained throughout its history. Each tureen was the product of numerous specialists - silversmiths for forming the body, chasers for decorative work, gilders for interior surfaces, and finishers who ensured perfect polish and assembly. Apprenticeships lasted seven years, during which young craftsmen would learn every aspect of their specialty before being allowed to work on production pieces. Quality control was exacting, with each piece undergoing multiple inspections at different stages of production. The firm maintained rigorous standards for weight, balance, and finish, rejecting any piece that failed to meet its criteria regardless of the labor already invested. This uncompromising approach ensured that every tureen bearing the Puiforcat mark represented the absolute pinnacle of 19th century silversmithing achievement.
The Puiforcat Legacy: The cultural significance of Puiforcat's Louis XVI style tureens extends beyond their material value. In 19th century France, where political regimes rose and fell with regularity, these classically inspired pieces represented continuity with an imagined golden age of French taste and refinement. For aristocratic families, they served as tangible connections to pre-Revolutionary traditions, while for the newly wealthy bourgeoisie they represented an opportunity to align themselves with enduring cultural values. The tureens frequently appeared in still-life paintings and interior scenes of the period, testifying to their status as symbols of refined living. Their presence on dining tables conveyed messages about the host's taste, wealth, and cultural literacy - a form of social communication as potent as it was subtle. In an age of increasing industrialization, Puiforcat's handcrafted tureens stood as bastions of traditional craftsmanship, their very existence a statement about the enduring value of human skill and artistic vision.
Today, Puiforcat's Louis XVI style tureens are prized by collectors and institutions alike. Major museums including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York include examples in their collections, recognizing them as exemplars of French neoclassical design. The market for these pieces remains strong, with well-preserved examples commanding significant prices at auction. A pair of Puiforcat tureens from the collection of the Duke of Westminster sold at Sotheby's in 2015 for over $250,000, demonstrating the enduring appeal of these masterpieces of silversmithing. The firm's association with Hermès has introduced its work to new generations of collectors, ensuring that Puiforcat's legacy continues to evolve while remaining rooted in its tradition of excellence. Contemporary designers continue to draw inspiration from these 19th century creations, adapting their classical proportions and refined aesthetics for modern tablesettings.
Item Specifications: This magnificent 3-piece covered vegetable server is a stunning example of the quality and craftsmanship for which the firm is internationally known. The covered tureen and presentation platter stand approximately 17.00cm. high to the top of the lid and weights 3,122 grams. Each piece is stamped with the French Government's Head of the Minerva 1 Hallmark certifying a minimum of 950 sterling silver as well as the "Puiforcat" sterling silver manufacturer's hallmark. The tureen itself measures approximately 34.00cm. in length to the tips of the handles, is 21.50cm. wide at its widest point and weights 1900 grams. It is stamped with the French Government's Head of the Minerva 1 Hallmark certifying a minimum of 950 sterling silver as well as the "Puiforcat" sterling silver manufacturer's hallmark. The presentation platter measures approximately 41.50cm. in length, is 28.50cm. wide at its widest point and weights 1,222 grams. It is stamped with the French Government's Head of the Minerva 1 Hallmark certifying a minimum of 950 sterling silver as well as the "Puiforcat" sterling silver manufacturer's hallmark. Each piece has been professionally refinished to like new condition. You can’t go wrong buying quality.
