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I have a French military officer's dressing case from the early 19th century. It contains a variety of silver topped, crystal jars and accessories. Based on the standard and guarantee marks, they date to 1809-1819, but I have been unable to identify the maker, as it does not seem to be listed in the database here. Would dearly love to know if anybody recognizes this. Standard, proof and maker's marks included, along with a photo of one of the jars.
Hello -
Arminjon doesn’t have much info about your maker, not even his first name or what his symbol represents. He was J.L. Varin, maker of table decorations (garniture de table), and travel toilet cases (nécessaires). He registered his mark twice, once in 1814-15, and once in 1817. No end date is given.
Varin worked in Paris. He was at 22, rue des Fossés-Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois in 1816, and 12, rue des Marmousets in 1818. Therefore your objects could have been made at either address, during a fairly narrow timeframe: sometime between 1814 (date Varin mark registered) and 1819 (end date for this 800 standard silver mark).
Thank you, this is exceedingly helpful! I was engaged in a debate with someone who felt that the box itself was quite a bit later than the silver. So finding out that this manufacturer also made the cases, just reinforces the unlikeliness of that for me. THANK YOU so much for the help, I'd have never found this without you!
My pleasure to help.
However, I’m afraid there is no guarantee that Varin made the case as well as the objects contained therein. He might have sub-contracted to a box maker (tablettier), as he undoubtedly did for the crystal containers. Or perhaps as your friend suggested, the box was a later purchase by an owner. There is no way of knowing without examining the case closely.
The style of the silver mounts you show is certainly French Empire, and fitted travel toilet cases were exceedingly popular in France during the first quarter of the 19th C.
Good luck in your continuing research.
Thank you again. Seems odd to think that someone would turn up at the Ébéniste with an armload of 10+ year old crystal and accessories, to have a perfectly fitted box made to go around them. Usually the box and the crystal and fittings were ordered at the same time, whether or not the retailer contracted the individual fittings out. Of course we know they did this for English made boxes because the mother of pearl had to come from China, the ivory from India, etc. They weren't made locally. So I'm sure it was probably the same for the French. I cannot find any information on the cutler who made the razors, past 1820. The box would have been incredibly expensive to begin with - only something the wealthy could have afforded - so even to have it remade 10+ years later, because perhaps it was out of fashion, seems excessive even for the most wealthy. Just my opinion on it, of course. I guess my debate was more along the lines of it all having been created at the same time, more than whether J.L. Varin actually made all the pieces. The person I was debating with felt that the crystal was earlier than the box, which I didn't agree with. I'm rambling, but I hope I'm making sense! LOL!
