Charming Antique Silver Selfish Coffee Tea Set By Lapar

A Charming and Rare Antique French Silver Coffee and Tea Selfish Set by the wonderful ‘Maitre Orfèvre’ Léon LAPAR.

It was called a ‘Tête à Tête’ set and was done to serve two guests.
The set is in solid silver has mahogany handles.
It is an incredible work of art and shows a refinement few Master Silversmiths managed to attain…

The set consists of an ‘Egoïste’ (Selfish) Coffee Pot, An ‘Egoïste’ Teapot, an Adorable matching Creamer, and the lovely matching Sugar Casket.
The teapot is particularly charming!
The bodies of the four pieces are decorated with exquisite ribbon tied wreaths of laurel leaves on the upper register and gadroons on the lower register.

The Finials, or ‘Frétel’, are in the form of a blueberry, while the edges of the lids reproduce the gadroon design found on the lower part of the pieces.
It is absolutely amazing to find a complete set, hence the rarity of this one!

The measures are as follows:
Coffee Pot: 7.28 inches high
Tea Pot: 5.70 inches high
Creamer: 4.72 inches high
Sugar Casket: 5.31 inches high

The Hallmark is Minerve 1 -1st title (950/1000)- 1838 to 1919– Paris

The Makers Mark is for Léon LAPAR Sr (Successor) to Louis BEGUIN, who registered his own mark On February 12th 1878 and cancelled it on July 5th 1897.
His Mark shows his three initials topping a silversmith’s chisel and his fully spelled name followed by the ‘sr’ initials and the name of his predecessor.
He took over Louis BEGUIN’s workshop at 16 rue de Choiseul then moved to number 25 Rue de Choiseul.

Reference number: SST-263