Pair Of Salt Shakers In Silver And Blue Glass Louis XVI Figuring The Arcades Of The Palais-royal

Pair of silver salt cellars, Louis XVI period.
With a rare decoration representing the arcades of the Palais-Royal.
Oval-shaped resting on four feet, with their blue glass lining, the silver chiselled representing the famous arcades of the Palais-Royal in Paris, with the grids crowned with the three fleurs-de-lis.
Some accidents and losses.
XVIII^th century, mark of Paris, 1780-1789.
L. 7.8 cm (each). Total weight: 36.2 g.

Historical :
These salt cellars are a rare testimony to the type of purchases souvenirs that were sold in the stalls installed in the galleries of the brand new Royal Palace, wanted by Louis-Philippe-Joseph d'Orléans (1747-1793), Duke of Orléans and future Philippe-Egalité, promoter of the project under the aegis of the architect Victor Louis who will finish them in 1780.
They also bear witness to the success of these shops, ancestors of shopping malls, where Parisian, provincial and beyond French, English, American, etc. crowded for half a century. Through the presence of cafes, restaurants, game rooms and other entertainment, these galleries became the fashionable meeting place for an elegant and often libertine society. The closure of the gambling houses will put an end to it in 1836.