Beautiful French Silver Service Implement Set By Puiforcat~Sold~

A beautiful Antique French Silver 10 pieces Serving Set by Emile PUIFORCAT.
This complete and lovely set is in its original box, which shows very light scruff marks on the outside of it, but is otherwise in very good condition.

The pieces are etched in the Louis XVI Style with a beautiful acanthus leaves design on the handles.
Acorns and oak as well as olive leaves also appear on the upper part of the utensils.
An acanthus leaf is again found at the link between the handles and the tines or forks of the smaller Hors D’oeuvres service pieces.

In this set, looking at the first picture and starting from the top you have:
A Roast Knife (13.8 inches long) and Fork (11.2 inches long), the fork featuring a Lily flower as its stopper.
A Salad Service Set (11 inches long) with the bowls and tines covered with 18 carat gold.
A Fish Service Set, with the blade of the Knife (11 inches long) and the tines of the Fork (9.9 inches long) showing acorns, olive and oak leaves.
Then you have your wonderful hors d’oeuvre service set: An Olive Spoon (7.1 inches long), a Pâté or Foie Gras Server (8.1 inches long), a Pickled Vegetables Server (7.3 inches long) and finally a Sardine Fork (7.1 inches long).

All pieces are in great state, no losses or marks, just absolutely beautiful!

The Hallmark is Minerva 1-1st title – 1838 -1919– Paris

The Makers Mark is for Emile PUIFORCAT, and was registered in 1857; it features an E and a P separated by a standing feather.
The mark is still so famous it does deserve a bit more explanations:
Emile PUIFORCAT inherited the business from his uncle Jean Baptiste FUCHS who specialized in flatware in the early 1800s. Emile Puiforcat moved from the offices of his uncle right next door at number 18, then 16 of Rue Chapon. While he died in 1883, his mark was kept by his successor as well as his grandson Jean, who passed away in 1945.
Until the 1880 the House of Puiforcat remained in the flatware business, but also expended into the larger pieces to include presentations plates and platters.
Though very praised for its craftsmanship PUIFORCAT never participated in the Fairs that did so much for the Silver business in the 1800. The house continued on through the years and was finally bought by Hermes in 1993.

Reference number: SST-179