Offered by Baptiste Jamez
REQUEST INFORMATION
A silver and crystal travel kit comprising a ewer, a box with two lids, a covered milk jug, a tea ball, a stove and grill, a crystal cup and a silver plate. In a mahogany box with brass fittings, a tray in which the objects are placed in shaped compartments lifts up via snake-shaped handles to reveal the location of a plate, the compartment of the ewer itself revealing the location of a cutlery set (missing), a small discreet compartment for storing some precious item or object.
Comprising :
• A silver baluster-shaped ewer, the floral scroll handle with a matte-finish part, the neck with a laurel frieze, the base highlighted with a delicate pearl frieze. Marks: 2nd cock 2nd title, Paris Guarantee, MO: PNB and three swallows for Pierre-Noël BLAQUIERE.
Height 15 cm. Weight : 161 gr.
• A silver stove grate decorated with shields and scrolls. Hallmarks: 1st cock 1st title with the letter A (hallmark of title for Paris in 1798), Guarantee of Paris with figure 85 reversed, hallmark of Moyenne Recense for Paris.
H.4,8cm - D.6,7 cm. Weight : 67 gr.
• Silver stove comprising 4 parts: silver stopper decorated with a delicate frieze of pearls and leaves on a guilloche background, silver burner, silver, turned ebony removable handle. Hallmarks: lictor beam with axe top left: small guarantee of Paris 1798-1809; 1st cock 1st title with the letter A (title hallmark for Paris in 1798), Guarantee of Paris, Association of goldsmiths with the number 1, master goldsmith: PL a pansy and a rosette for Pierre LEPLAIN (Parisian goldsmith specialising in the supply of parts for travel kits at 36 rue Saint-Éloi. There are several pieces by BLAQUIÈRE for which he also supplied parts, including the set kept at the Château de CHAMEROLLES and a set for General CAULAINCOURT).
H.6 cm - D.5,4 cm. Gross weight: 161 gr.
• A silver oval tea and sugar box on a pedestal with two hinged lids, the inside with compartments decorated with vermeil. Marks: 2nd cock 1st title, Association des Orfèvres with the letter P (twice), Moyenne Garantie de Paris, Maitre-orfèvre: PNB and three swallows for Pierre-Noël BLAQUIERE.
H. 4.3 cm - L.6.8 cm. Weight : 112 gr.
• A solid silver tea ball and chain with a pierced design of palmettes, pearls and foliage. Hallmarks: lictor beam with axe top left: small guarantee of Paris 1798-1809 (2) and ear hallmark.
Height 4.2 cm (chain length 17.5 cm). Weight : 17 gr.
• A crystal cup with friezes of floral ribbons, garlands of flowers and pearls, a central medallion engraved with the letter B.
H.6.8 - D.6.5 - L.9.4 cm.
• A silver pot with an ebony handle and silver screw thread. It has a hinged lid decorated with a frieze of palmettes on a guilloché background underlined by a frieze of pearls and a fine fretwork frieze, the lip also underlined by a delicate frieze of pearls as well as the handle attachment, resting on a shield. Marks (horns and lid): 2nd cock 1st title, Goldsmiths' Association and the number 1, Paris Guarantee, Master-goldsmith: PNB and three swallows for Pierre-Noël BLAQUIERE.
H.8.4 - D.7.8 cm. Gross weight: 177 gr.
• Silver plate with laurel frieze, Vieillard hallmark.
Paris, between 1798 and 1819.
Silversmith : Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE (registered in 1803).
PIERRE-NOËL BLAQUIÈRE
Paris, circa 1781 - 5 July 1849
Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE was a goldsmith based at 174 rue Saint-Honoré. Specialising in travel kits and mounted objects, he supplied an exceptional clientele with luxury items.
From May 1811, BLAQUIÈRE worked for the Manufacture de Sèvres to decorate various porcelain pieces with handles and mounts. He also made the vermeil pieces for the wedding box of the Duke of BERRY and supplied pieces to the goldsmith ODIOT.
Between 1818 and 1822, he was commissioned by the Manufacture de Sèvres for a very special technique involving the setting in porcelain of crystal cameos or cabochons of fine cut stones. This process seems to have been used for the first time on a cup presented by King LOUIS XVIII on the occasion of the birth of Marie-Amélie de BOURBON-SICILES (Hermitage Museum of Saint-Pétersbourg) in 1818. It was at this date that he moved to 123 rue Saint-Honoré, in the Hôtel d'Aligre.
A service known as "Verre d'eau" is preserved in the Louvre, demonstrating his unique skills as a setter as well as the incredible luxury of his orders. With this service, he created the only known example of the inclusion in crystal of semi-precious stones cut and set in crystal by a gilded silver hoop with graineti, inspired by jewellery.
He made or supplied pieces for many of the sets whose prestige is illustrated by the few pieces that have survived: Hortense de MAIRE's set (Fondation Napoléon), Amy BROWN's set (Musée de la Parfumerie Fragonard, Paris), the Countess BRANICKA's toilet set (Palais Wilanòw, Varsovie), the travel set of Charles STUART, first Baron STUART de ROTHESAY (LEMPERTZ Cologne - The Exceptional Bernard De Leye Collection, 15.07.2021, lot 218 : A silver gilt travel lavabo set made for Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay. Est. 15.000 € - 20.000 €, result: 18.750 €), the travel set of the daughter of the Duke of OTRANTE, and the WURTEMBERG family.
MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS
• MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, Paris - "Service dit verre d’eau", crystal, silver, opals, amethysts and aquamarines by Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE. Paris circa 1820. Inv. OA 11272 to 11276.
• MUSÉE DU LOUVRE, Paris - "Gourde", gilt silver, red leather and glass by Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE. Paris circa 1819-1837. Provenance: former Louis-Victor PUIFORCAT collection.
• CHÂTEAU DE CHAMEROLLES, Chilleurs-aux-Bois - "Nécessaire de voyage de dame", maple burl, brass, velvet, leather, silk, vermeil, ebony, mother-of-pearl, crystal, steel, porcelain by BLAQUIERE Pierre-Noël and LEPLAIN Pierre. Paris, first quarter of the 19th century.
• METROPOLITAN MUSEUM, New York (USA) - "Breakfast Service", porcelain, silver gilt, handles attributed to Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE. Paris, 1813. Presented by Napoleon to the Princesse de Beauharnais on New Year's Day 1814. Inv. 56.29.6.
• RHODES ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN MUSEUM, Rhodes Island (USA) - "Dressing case", rosewood, copper, gold, leather, silver, crystal, ivory by Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE. Ca. 1806-1810.
• MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS, Montreal - Travel set, by Pierre-Noël BLAQUIÈRE and François-Claude NOLAU, Paris 1809-1819. Inv. 2016.393.1-42.
• MUZEUM PALACU KRÓLA JANA III W WILANOWIE, Warsaw (PL) - Toiletry set, Paris 1809-1819.
EXHIBITIONS
• "Un âge d’or des arts décoratifs, 1814-1848", Galeries nationales du Grand Palaus, Paris, 10/10-30/12/1991.
• "Trésors de la Fondation Napoléon – Dans l’intimité de la Cour impériale", Musée Jacquemart-André, Paris, 28/09/2004-03/04/2005.
