Help with pattern identification

[Aumuehle1529]

I have a spoon and a fork that I have identified by the marks to be from maker J. Granvigne of Paris. What I would like help with is the pattern which I have shown in the photo. Is this pattern, with the crest, a "commercial" pattern from that maker, or a special order pattern, done perhaps for an individual family?
Many thanks for any help.

[lavenderhoney]

Hi, Most American silversmiths have catalogs of patterns, and it is fairly easy to expand on a collection by searching for the maker and pattern number or name. The French silversmiths didn't have patterns, per se. Rather, their wares were custom ordered and based on various sketches and models. You would walk in and be presented with designs or a combination of designs to choose from and could customize your order from there. This applied oval cartouche is typical of Gravigne and I have seen it on a sugar sifter and a set of tea spoons with engravings of leaves along the handles. The coat of arms is an actual family crest and was custom ordered. It would be interesting to research the coat of arms and see which family it once belonged to. Good luck and it is a beautiful piece!

[JayT]

Here is some clarification about flatware patterns in France. While French manufacturers did not produce as many patterns as United States makers, in the nineteenth century they did have catalogues of named or numbered patterns. Other than personalization such as monograms or armorials, customization was not frequent in the nineteenth century, as it would have been very expensive for a manufacturer to cut new dies for a single client. Examples of French flatware catalogue pages are reproduced in David Allan’s 2007 book “French Silver Cutlery of the XIX Century.”

The maker Jean Granvigne was a jobber or subcontractor. He did not have a shop where clients could come choose their flatware, but rather he made patterns to the specifications of high-end retailers such as Odiot. I too have seen this pattern, so using your words it was a commercial pattern, personalized by the maker.