Superb French 1st Empire Era Silver Teapot by Pierre Chauvin

A absolutely superb Antique French Silver Teapot by Maître Orfèvre Pierre Chauvin dating to the French First Empire.

This beautiful piece has a rounded body decorated with gadroons, with a delicate openwork gallery on the neck as well as on the foot.
The sides of the galleries are etched with delicate’Raies de Coeur’ or spokes of heart.
The flat lid shows a reclining swan, while the spout is carved into the head of an imaginary sea creature.
The wood handle is attached by a floral scroll and in perfect shape.

This beautiful piece is one the rarest we have come across! Particularly due to the fact that the gadroons are intact and the shape perfectly preserved.
A stunning piece, worthy of a collector.

The Hallmark is 2ieme Coq or 2nd Rooster, 1st title silver (950/1000) for Paris years 1809 to 1819.
But the piece also shows The Poinçon Révolutionaire or Poinçon de l’Association des Orfèvres d’Or et d’Argent which was created in 1794 and used until 1797.
It shows the head of a Greek Woman with a 1 on the right hand side.
The Marks was created by the Master Silversmiths in order to avoid fraud, after the break down of the Old Regime and before the system started again in 1798.
This means this piece was started between 1794 and 1797.

The Maker Mark is for Maître Orfèvre Pierre Chauvin.
It was registered in 1806 and shows his two initials with a Jerusalem Cross above and a shell under.
Pierre Chauvin specialized in ‘Grosserie’, which meant all pieces pertaining to tableware, be it plates, soup tureens, vegetable tureens etc…
His workshop was located 15 rue des Mauvaises Paroles in Paris.

France 19th Century c.H: 6.69"W: 9.44"D: 4.14"Reference number: SH-327