Christofle – Silver-plated Sauce Boat, Atlante Model

Silver-plated sauce boat by CHRISTOFLE, Atlante model.

Marks
•    CHRISTOFLE written in full,
•    OC with a chess knight,
•    OC with a scale, four stars, and two branches within an oval,
•    The numbers 2 and 4.

Measure
•    Height: 10 cm.
•    Length: 23 cm.
•    Width: 15 cm.

Condition report
Some light surface scratches from use. The silver plating is in excellent condition, with no dents.

This sauce boat from the Atlante collection was created in 1968. "These are minimalist pieces with strict forms, free from ornamentation. Functionality takes precedence over decoration" (source: Maison CHRISTOFLE).
An identical sauce boat is offered by CHRISTOFLE as part of their vintage resale range at €490.

Maison CHRISTOFLE
Founded in 1830, Maison CHRISTOFLE became the official supplier to His Majesty King LOUIS-PHILIPPE following a commission in 1846 for a table service for the Château d’Eu.
The company rose to fame thanks to a commission by Emperor NAPOLEON III upon his accession to power for a grand ceremonial service of 4,000 pieces, the centrepiece of which was a monumental surtout displayed at the 1855 Exposition Universelle. Despite the tragic fate of this service—most of which was destroyed in the 1871 fire of the Tuileries Palace[1]—the reputation of the house soared.
Appointed Goldsmith to the King and Supplier to the Emperor, CHRISTOFLE became sought after by leading foreign monarchs and their courts, including Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, the Tsar of Russia, the Kaiser, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Sultan Abdülaziz of the Ottoman Empire.
The company experienced exponential growth and became one of the foremost goldsmiths of the late 19th and 20th centuries, expanding its expertise to include gilding the rooftops of the Opéra Garnier. Developing modernist, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco pieces that triumphed at the 1925 Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, CHRISTOFLE also created services for the era’s most luxurious ocean liners such as the Atlantique, Île-de-France, and Normandie, as well as iconic establishments like the Ritz and major transportation companies[2].
Throughout the second half of the 20th century, CHRISTOFLE collaborated with renowned designers to produce avant-garde creations, remaining at the forefront of design until its departure from the founding family in 2014.

CHRISTOFLE’s works can now be found in the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Musée du 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 British Museum in London; the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon; as well as on the tables of heads of state, embassies, ministries, and major institutions.

[1] The surtout was discovered in the smouldering ruins of the Tuileries Palace by Henri BOUIHLET, nephew of Charles CHRISTOFLE and vice-president of the company. It is now on display at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris in its found state.
[2] In 1935, for instance, 40,000 pieces of silverware were delivered for the ocean liner Normandie.