Paris 1819-1838 – Large Amphitrite drageoir, Medici chape, solid silver

Important drageoir in solid silver and crystal, Medici shape. It rests on a circular pedestal bordered by a frieze of gadroons and a frieze of water leaves, the square base comprising four claw feet with palmettes and acanthus, the borders decorated with a frieze of quartefeuilles on a matte background.

The body receives an openwork decoration representing Amphitrite on his chariot drawn by sea horses, holding a child in his arms.
The handles are made up of windings of acanthus, foliage and flowers, completed with dolphins resting on an openwork upright with the same decoration.
The ornamentation is punctuated by friezes of palms and palmettes, pearls, gadroons. The drageoir is topped with a grip lid in the form of facing cornucopias forming a garland of flowers, foliage and ribboned fruit, on a circular terrace decorated with chiseled motifs of palmettes and flowers framed by a frieze of flowers and laurel branches.

Engraved with coat of arms reported on the lid and the body, complete with its shaped blue crystal lining.

Hallmarks:
• Vieillard 1er titre (solid silver 950/1000 in Paris between 1819 and 1838).
• Paris Guarantee
• Master goldsmith.


Silver weight: 746 grams (1,65 lb).


This piece has the interesting particularity of being engraved with arms applied later.
Following the fashion of the time, ancient iconography takes up a mythological subject, that of the goddess Amphitrite, represented in majesty, on her chariot in the middle of the waves, drawn by four fish-tailed sea horses, dressed and hairstyle "à la grec" according to the fashion of the French Empire. But, if she holds a scepter in her right hand, she encloses a small child with her left hand, illustrating the fact that here Amphitrite also takes on the allegorical figure of motherhood, with no real relation to mythology, but inducing a double reading specific to the iconography of these pieces at the time.
This allegory of motherhood is reinforced by the figure of the dolphins, of which Amphitrite is sometimes seen as mother.