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281
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EUGÈNE MICHAUT
See original version (French)
281
-
EUGÈNE MICHAUT
See original version (French)
Estimate €6,000 - €8,000
Voluntary lot
Description
EUGÈNE MICHAUT
Silver coffee pot, repoussé and chiselled
A very fine and rare silver coffee pot, richly decorated with repoussé and chiselling.
The entirely amati-finished ovoid body is adorned with coiling volubilis in bloom, brought to life by butterflies and insects rendered in high relief. The spout and handle are integrated into a substantial naturalistic foliage motif.
The lid, cut in the shape of an eggshell, is surmounted by a snake entwined in foliage.
The whole rests on a base lavishly decorated with plant motifs and embellished with a snail and a lizard.
The interior is in vermeil. The lid is engraved with ‘E. Michaut – PARIS’.
Paris, c. 1880.
Height: 20.5 cm
Width: 19 cm
Weight: 823 g.
Historical Notes.
This coffee pot is part of the revival of Parisian goldsmithing during the Second Empire, characterised by the development of repoussé and chiselling techniques, and by an increased focus on sculptural effects. It is signed by Eugène Michaut, a chaser whose work in Paris is documented from the 1860s onwards. The archives of the Association of Bronze Manufacturers and Workers notably mention, in 1865, the award won by Eugène Michaut for a repoussé silver coffee pot.
He also collaborated with Christofle in 1867 on the repoussé chiselling of a coffee service designed by J. Chéret and exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair. A galvanoplated copy of this coffee pot is now held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (inv. D 275). The museum’s catalogue entry identifies Christofle as the manufacturer, Chéret as the designer and Michaut as the engraver. In 1873, Michaut is still referred to as ‘of the Christofle firm, in Paris’.
Following this period of collaboration, Michaut continued to work as an independent engraver and acquired the business of Alexandre-Auguste Turquet, a goldsmith in Paris from 1855 to 1882. In 1882, Michaut is described as a ‘freelance engraver’ and his own master’s mark was then struck. This development is important for understanding the status of this piece, which bears Michaut’s signature but lacks a maker’s mark.
Stylistically, the coffee pot is part of a tradition of Parisian goldsmithing in which naturalistic decoration, relief and virtuosity in chasing played an increasingly prominent role. This trend can be compared to the beer mug by the Fannière brothers, made around 1865 and held at the Musée d’Orsay, as well as the tea service produced by Bapst & Falize around 1889, held at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs and exhibited at the 1889 Paris World’s Fair. These parallels, which bear witness to the continuity of this decorative exploration in French silversmithing during the second half of the 19th century, enable us to situate Michaut’s coffee pot within a context characterised by the importance attached to rich decoration and mastery of relief techniques.
We would like to thank Ms Caroline Radenac, Head of Heritage at the Conservatoire Bouilhet Christofle, for the documentary material she has provided.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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