Charming Antique French Silver Confiturier by Louis Manant

A Very Charming Medici Vase Shaped Confiturier by Maître Orfèvre Louis Manant.

Though the name indicates a connotation of Jam, it is actually a magnificent Sugar bowl with its individual spoons around it.
This lovely Ceremonial Sugar bowl imitates the shape of the Medici Vase. It houses a cut Crystal interior, and rests on a square base with four lions feet decorated with scrolls and foliage.

A frieze of laurel leaves runs along the edge of the circular pedestal and the edge of the lid, while acanthus leaves decorates the square part of the pedestal.
The openwork body has four tableaux. Two in the form of matching torchères with satyrs with angels’ heads back-to-back, and two decorated with a standing Ephebe reclining ona tree stump.
The young man is non other then Dionysus or Bacchus. In his hand he holds a vine, while on the tree lies the skin of a Lynx another one of his attributes. .
Form the side tableaux stem the beautiful Scrolled handles that take the shape of Winged Caryatides.
The lid is topped by a acanthus wreath.
The edge of the frame has an openwork network allowing twelve spoons to slide in.
The Particularity of these pieces, is that the Maître Orfèvre who did the main object, did not create the spoons…The spoons were always ordered from a Cuilleriste (Or Spoon Maker) who specialized in them.
The twelve spoons share the same ‘Poinçon au Vieillard’ or Michael Angelo Hallmark. The Spoon Maker was Jean François Oury.

The Hallmark is Poinçon au Vieillard or Michael Angelo Hallmark -1st title Silver (950/1000) – Paris 1819-1838

The Makers Mark is for Maître Orfèvre Louis Manant
It shows his initials are separated by a hammer with a crescent above.
His marked was registered on January 7th 1829, under number 3075 in Paris.
His workshop was located 16 Place Dauphine in Paris.

France 19th Century c.H: 9.44"W: 7.70"D: 3.93"Reference number: D-174