Rare Silver and Ebony Melon Forks By Cardeilhac~Sold~

A very Rare and Elegant Antique French Silver and Ebony Melon Fork Set by ‘Maître Orfèvre’ Ernest CARDEILHAC.
This lovely set is extremely rare to come by!
It is composed of 6 Forks, with their solid silver tines showcasing a beautiful elongated shape with a fine groove doubling the edges of the tines.
The Viroles or Ferrules show a charming rocaille style design with floral scrolls encasing the ebony handles.
The handle of the forks are in solid ebony which is in impeccable state, with no scratches or cuts.
The Forks are finely sharpened with one side perfect for slicing through the melon and picking up the piece with the fork end.

While it was created with Melon in mind, it is a perfect Fruit service set, and can be used with a variety of fruits or eve with desserts.
They are a perfect addition to a set and easy to place due to their lovely and elegant design.
The forks are 8.7 inches long. They come in their original presentation box which features the 91 Rue de Rivoli address CARDEILHAC had moved to in 1851.

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

The Makers Mark is for Ernest CARDEILHAC, and shows an E and a C topped by a medal of honor with a crescent below.
His mark was registered in 1851 and canceled in 1904.
The story of the House of Cardeilhac deserves a bit more details.
The founder of the dynasty was Vital Antoine Cardeilhac who registered his marks in 1817, then 1820 and finally cancelled them in 1851. A wonderful artist Cardeilhac, very early on, specialized in Cutlery and is considered the reason for the change of shapes the knives would see by the second part of the century (going from round edges to tapered edges).
His son, Armand Edouard took over in 1851 and in turn schooled his own son into the trade. Ernest CARDEILHAC managed the establishmenton his own starting 1885, until he retired in 1904, leaving the House to his sons Peter and James.
The HOUSE OF CARDEILHAC was active until 1951 when it was absorbed by CHRISTOFLE.
The last know address for the house of Cardeilahc was number 24 on the famed Place Vendôme in Paris.

Reference number: SF-134