Bidspirit auction | Pair Royal Christofle Double Salt

Pair Royal Christofle Double Salt Cellars - Christofle, France. Pair of silver plate double salt cellars with three extra bowls, circa 1844-1872. Each featuring a youth atop the base seated between the two cellars. Each stand stamped with a ”Christofle” hallmark in a rectangular cartouche, numbered ”15” in square cartouches, and the Christofle scale silversmith's hallmark along the underside. Each further numbered; one numbered 783383 and one numbered 783384 along the underside of a foot. Exhibited: Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minnesota, 1966-1968. Provenance: Commissioned by Prince Mustafa Fazil Pasha for the occasion of his daughter, Princess Nazli Zainab Hanim Fazil’s marriage to Ali Khalil Pasha. Family stories hold that the Princess Nazli sent this set of Christofle through the desert by camel to be used for a peace treaty dinner between the Ottomans and the Russians (likely the Treaty of San Stefano, 1878); Thence by descent. (Each) Height: 5 1/4 in x width: 6 1/2 in x depth: 3 1/2 in. Gross weight: 1,438.5 g. Condition: There are no breaks or losses. To one of the boys, there are faintly incised linear marks along each of his arms. No major dents. Scattered areas of wear to the silver, primarily along high areas and touch points. Scattered areas of tarnishing, primarily along recessed areas, Polishing accretions under the rims of a few of the oval bowls. Light scratches. The extra cups have lost their gilt interior.