Wolfers, Sterling Silver Planter, 1880-1910, Louis Seize, Brussels

Small solid silve centerpiece with its original silver-plated interior (silver worn off  in places) from the workshops of the prestigious Brussels luxury house Wolfers frères, goldsmiths and jewelers. Founded at the beginning of the nineteenth century, this luxury house enjoyed a period of great success in the last quarter of the nineteenth century when, under the leadership of the artist Philippe Wolfers, it employed several hundred craftsmen who carefully produced goldwork, jewelry, bronze, marble or ivory sculptures, silver-mounted glass paste vases and other quality objects. Their importance for applied arts in Belgium was such that the national museums dedicated an entire room to them where their most important production is exhibited in the decor that Victor Horta created especially for their Brussels boutique. The setting without the interior weighs 255 grams.