Olive Spoon With Ernault De Moulin Coat Of Arms, Silver, Paris, 1784-1785

- Olive spoon
- Hammered silver, pierced
- By Louis-Julien Anthiaume: received master goldsmith in 1779, worked after 1793 (?)
- Paris, 1784-1785
- Length: 28.1 cm; weight: 100g
- Excellent condition
- Provenance: Eugène Jean Ernault de Moulins, knight of Saint Louis (1764-1835)

- Olive spoon, single-flat, the spoon edged with a line called "mouth edge" is pierced with tears and tulips, surrounded by a symmetrical frieze of interlacing tulips, a cut-out by the goldsmith that we find on the majority of olive spoons made by him and his father (Ex coll. Verrier gallery of 1765), one by Louis-Antoine Taillepied kept at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (Inv.30000A). On the ribbed spatula, are engraved coats of arms flanked by two lions, surmounted by a marquis' crown and a cross of Saint-Louis: party, one, cut gold with a spread eagle gules, and silver with a wolf's head sable; two silver with a lion gules for Eugène Jean Ernault de Moulin, knight of Saint Louis (1764-1835).

- Hallmarks (on the stem): Master goldsmith: JL//A with crowned fleur-de-lys for Louis-Julien Anthiaume, 1779-1793 (?) [3 T.II p.14]; warden's mark: P with the date 84 surmounted by a crown, Paris from July 17, 1784 to July 13, 1785 [1, n°535]; charge: A crowned, for large works, Paris from September 1782 to February 23, 1789 [1 n°520]; discharge: a parrot's head, for small works of silver and gold, Paris, from March 8, 1786 to February 23, 1789 [1, n°524]; discharge: peasant's head for gold works and small silver works, Paris from September 1782 to March 8, 1786 [1, n°523]
- Louis Julien Anthiaume spoonmaker was received as a master goldsmith in 1779 and worked after 1793. Known for the quality of his works, particularly finished models of violin cutlery with fillets, clasps and laurels are listed at the Louvre Museum (OA 9745 & 9750, ex coll. Puiforcat).

-  Ref. : [1] Bimbenet-Privat & Fontaines : "La datation de l’orfèvrerie parisienne sous l’ancien régime", Paris musées, 1995 ; [2] Bimbenet-Privat & Furhing : "La collection Jourdan-Barry", Kugel, 2005 ; [3] Nocq, Henri : "Répertoire des maîtres-orfèvres de la juridiction de Paris depuis le moyen âge jusqu'à la fin du dix-huitième siècle", 5 Tomes, 1926 ; [4] Bimbenet-Privat, Doux, Gaugeon : "Orfèvrerie de la Renaissance et des temps modernes - La collection du Musée du Louvre", éditions Faton & Louvre édition, 2023