Orloff / Orlov Service: Naturalist Shell Bowl In Solid Silver & Vermeil, Coat Of Arms

Superb shell-shaped cup with the Orloff coat of arms.

The cup is in the shape of a naturalistic scallop shell with well-marked growth striations.
The interior is in very light vermeil.

It rests on three small feet formed of rocaille scrolls.

The handle is engraved with magnificent coats of arms under a prince's crown, with the Orloff family coat of arms. The engraving is magnificent, very detailed due to the complexity of the arms.

I thank Mr. Geoffroy de Moreau and Mr. Emmanuel Vincent for identifying the coat of arms.

The cup is hallmarked:
. Minerva 1st title before 1973 for 950/°° silver
. Goldsmith's mark: AL with a lark on a rock for Auguste Leroy, active from 1891 to 1912

The period of manufacture of this cup allows its owner to be identified. It is probably Prince Alexei Nikolaevich Orloff (18697 - 1916), Russian general, attaché of the Russian embassy in Paris, who explains the French origin of this object.

The name Orloff is famous among lovers of goldsmithing because of the Orloff service, ordered by the great Catherine II of Russia from her favorite, Prince Orloff. This service, exceptional in the number of pieces, more than 3000, was also exceptional in its quality. Ordered from the greatest French goldsmiths of the second half of the 18th century, the most famous pieces are probably the neoclassical oil pots, a copy of which is kept at the Louvre Museum. The Orloff service also included small shell-shaped dishes, two of which are at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
If our shell is of a different and later style, it is part of this continuity of the Orloff service and the reputation of the French goldsmiths who supplied the greatest families of Europe.

Magnificent shell, very well made, of a certain weight coming from a prestigious family. Do not miss this opportunity to obtain a piece of the Orloff service at a reasonable price.

13.5 x 11.5 cm
1.5 cm high

130 grams

Very good condition. The vermeil is very light. Micro scratches from use.

Hand delivery in Paris or insured Colissimo shipping.

France: €15
Europe: €20
World: €35