Christofle – Silver-plated Chafing Dish, Paris, 19th Century

Beautiful copper and silver-plated brass chafing dish by Maison CHRISTOFLE, complete with its original cover.
This piece features exquisite gadrooned handles with a dynamic design, joined by a moulded ring secured to the body with finely detailed foliate clasps.
The ensemble rests on four elegantly crafted bun feet.

Hallmarks
•    CHRISTOFLE in full.
•    CC with a balance, four stars, and two branches (1862–1935).
•    The numbers 3 and 0, each within a square.
•    Reference number 2703756 on both parts.

Dimensions
•    Height: 11.8 cm
•    Diameter: 25.4 cm
•    Length: 29.6 cm

Condition Report
Some wear to the silver plating is visible on the upper part where the cover meets the base, affecting a small fifth of the diameter. Localised pitting is noted on the cover. The original silver plating is preserved, with the body remaining in very good condition aside from minor age-related wear consistent with use.

The handles are of exceptional quality, characteristic of the period and indicative of a prestigious commission.
A similar CHRISTOFLE chafing dish featuring a handle with the arms of the Orléans family was sold at Christie’s during the estate auction of the Count of Paris.


Maison CHRISTOFLE

Founded in 1830, Maison CHRISTOFLE quickly established itself as a premier silversmith, becoming a supplier to King LOUIS-PHILIPPE, who placed his first orders for the 1844 Exhibition, followed by a table service for the Château d’Eu in 1846. Its renown grew exponentially after Emperor NAPOLEON III commissioned a grand ceremonial service comprising 4,000 pieces upon his ascension to power. This collection’s centrepiece, a monumental surtout de table, was showcased at the 1855 Exposition Universelle. Despite the tragic destruction of much of this service in the Tuileries Palace fire of 1871^[1], CHRISTOFLE’s fame endured.
Catering to royalty and heads of state worldwide—including Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, the Tsar of Russia, the Kaiser, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Sultan Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire—CHRISTOFLE became a defining silversmith of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its expertise expanded to gilding the roofs of the Opéra Garnier and producing modern designs in Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles that triumphed at the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes. CHRISTOFLE also crafted bespoke services for luxury liners like Atlantique, Île-de-France, and Normandie, as well as iconic hotels such as the Ritz, and for leading railway and maritime companies^[2].
Throughout the latter half of the 20th century, CHRISTOFLE collaborated with renowned designers to create avant-garde pieces until its acquisition by private investors in 2014.

Museum Presence

CHRISTOFLE pieces are featured in major institutions worldwide, including the Louvre, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Grand Palais in Paris; the Metropolitan Museum and MoMA in New York; the Victoria & Albert Museum and the British Museum in London; the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian in Lisbon; and at state dinners, embassies, ministries, and prestigious institutions globally.

^{[1] The surtout de table was recovered from the smouldering ruins of the Tuileries by Henri Bouilhet, nephew of Charles Christofle and vice-president of the manufactory.
It is now exhibited at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, preserved in the condition in which it was discovered.
[2] In 1935, for example, 40,000 pieces of silverware were delivered for the ocean liner Normandie.}