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The woman leaning on the anchor is the traditional personification of Hope. It is not necessarily nautical: the anchor provides stability and security and thus became a symbol of hope. That said, it was a popular motif among sailors (and especially their wives) as a token of safe passage. Nice spoons!

It is odd, but there is no question that Giroux died on 24 Apr 1809; his death certificate was re-registered in 1872 from a notarial copy of 1810 associated with his succession, and the date is confirmed by his appearance the 1809 table of decedents in the old 7th & 8th arrondissements, similarl...

Nicolas Edme Picard Born: 1 Jun 1810, Montargis, Loiret, son of Nicolas Picard & Anne Elisabeth Barthelemy Married: 4 Apr 1837, Paris, 6th arrondissement, to Marie Pauline Desplat (1807-1890) Died: 1877/1881 The exact date and place of his death has so far eluded me, but I have determined that ...

Abel Etienne Toussaint Gabriel Giroux

Born: ca. 1766, Paris, son of Rene Henri Giroux & Francois Gruardet
Married: 25 Jul 1795 [7 Thermidor an III], Paris, 11th arrondissement, to Julie Fortier
Died: 24 Apr 1809, Paris, 8th arrondissement

This cameo is almost certainly carved from a single piece of onyx: a variety of banded chalcedony. The art of the cameo carver was the ability to create an image in relief from the white layer, leaving the black layer as the background, with the depth of the white layer thinned to provide shadows an...

Charles-Jacob Schaeffer Born: 22 Nov 1806, Paris, son of Jean Jacob Schaeffer & Marie Anne Charlotte Lendre Married 1st: 2 Jul 1833, to Appoline Celestine Challot Married 2nd: 2 Oct 1841, to Justine Eliza Grunder Died: 6 Feb 1888, Deuil-la-Barre,Val d’Oise His mark – CS with four arrows creatin...

Hoping this is the correct place to post this (though wishing it could go somewhere that has a bit more traffic). I wanted to let members know that Rhode Island PBS recently aired a three-part documentary on the history of Gorham Silver. It’s really very well done, including not only the history of ...

See also this thread: Identifying Sugar Tong Marks

François Etienne Hyvelin LePrince Born: ca 1786, Paris, son of François Elisabeth Hyvelin LePrince, master silversmith & Marie Eulalie Riché Married 1st: 28 Dec 1809, Marie Marguerite Sophie Carrie (d. 1815) Married 2nd: 12 Jan 1817, Caroline Fany de la Marre Died: 19 Apr 1827, Paris The family...

Claude-Louis Jonquoy

Born: 8 Oct 1788, Paris, 5th arr., son of Claude Jonquoy and Nicole Escur dite Lasserre
Married: 15 Mar 1813, Paris, 5th arr., to Marie Madeleine Boissade
Died: 12 Mar 1861, Paris, 9th arr.

I’m a little puzzled about the date myself. The law changing the marks was passed on 30 Jan 1968, but would not go in to effect until it was approved by the full legislature and published in the Official Gazette. It was approved on 30 Dec 1970 and officially published on 17 Aug 1971. The legistlatio...

Given the date and location, and that the mark is on a pair of eyeglasses, I am reasonably confident that your piece is by a member of the Cozette dynasty of spectacle makers in Songeons, which is only about 25km from Beauvais and whose silver manufacturers were under the jurisdiction of the Beauvai...

It is a persistent error that the "Greek woman's head mark" was used only in the late 18th century; see this thread - Antique Oil and Vinegar Set - for more information. The mark is known to have appeared on pieces up to the 1830s. Your (very attractive) piece dates to 1809-1819, as noted.

Marc Augustin Lebrun Born: 7 May 1782, Paris, son of Jean Jacques Lebrun & Brigitte Colne Married: 1809, to Marie Adelaide Victoire Pinta (ca. 1782-1828) Died: 21 Jun 1859, Paris Lebrun was a very important manufacturer who spanned both French Empires. He studied under Jean Baptiste Claude Odio...

Trademark & psuedo-mark attributed to Wolf & Knell of Hanau; see their listing under Pseudo-Hallmarks on Hanau Silver

Pierre Joseph Bourguignon Baptized: 30 Oct 1757, Dinant sur la Meuse, Namur, Belgium, son of Perpete Ignance Bourguignon & Marie Josephe Lelivre Married: 1795, to Jeanne Catherine Eleonore Dutry, daughter of Antoine Dutry & Louise Eleonore Boulanger Died: 18 Oct 1830, Paris Augustin Louis C...

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Dominique Laporte Born: 22 Apr 1786, Tarbes, Hautes-Pyrenees, son of Sebastien Laporte & Jeanne Claret Married 1st: Henriette Taure Married 2nd: 9 Mar 1833, Paris, Marie Augustine Gavet Died: 2 Feb 1859, Paris His business was continued by his widow, evidently without changing the mark. As note...

Etienne Bonaventure Guichard Bijoutier Mark: EG + a flag Mark registered: 17 Aug 1867, 73 rue aux Ours; no cancellation Born: 15 Mar 1835, Autrey-les-Grey, Haute-Saone, son of Louis Felix Guichard & Jeanner Roussel Married: 15 Mar 1866, Paris, to Louise Gabrielle Ottmann I have not been able fo...

Charles Antoine Amand Lenglet Born: 24 Feb 1791, Levergies, Aisne, son of Romain Honore Lenglet & Marie Anne Beatrice Malazieux Married: Anne Robert Died: 23 Oct 1855, Paris Mark: CAL with a lion and star 1st mark: registered 25 Oct 1823, 32 rue Bourg l’Abbe; cancelled 6 Aug 1843 2nd mark: regi...