"Set Of Four Oval Saltcellars By The Silversmith Fray Fils, Solid Silver, Paris, 1875-1891"
Set of four oval silver saltcellars by FRAY FILS. They include blue crystal verrines. Elegant decor with windings, foliage, and blank engraved cartridges with pearl threads.Marks
FRAY FILS
FRAY (fils), 22 rue Pastourelle. Register on January 4, 1875; registered off on April 1, 1891. Guarantee number: 8594.
« M. Fray prit la succession de son beau-père, la Maison Harleux et travailla surtout pour la clientèle parisienne. Il créa en grand la vaisselle plate, c'est à dire les plats, les légumiers, les saucières, les pièces d'argent qui constituent le grand luxe de la table.
Puis il voulut faire un effort et mettre à côté des pièces de sa fabrication courante, des objets d'un art plus raffiné. Il s'adressa alors à Joindy, sculpteur, lequel avait déjà travaillé pour Christofle.
Ce qu'il faut louer dans [son] travail donc, c’est l’art de l'orfèvre et l'habilité de l'ouvrier qui a su modeler au marteau sur un plan ovale les bords et les courbes parallèles d'une [grande] pièce. C’est bien là le caractère de la belle et loyale fabrication. » [1].
“Mr. Fray took over from his father-in-law, Maison HARLEUX and worked mainly for Parisian clients. He created large tableware, that is, dishes, vegetables, gravy boats, silver coins that constitute the great luxury of the table.
Then he wanted to make an effort and put next to pieces of his current manufacture, objects of a more refined art. He then addressed Joindy, sculptor, who had already worked for CHRISTOFLE.
What must be praised in [his] work therefore, is the art of the goldsmith and the skill of the worker who has been able to model with a hammer on an oval plane the edges and parallel curves of a [large] piece. This is indeed the character of beautiful and loyal manufacturing."[1]
[1] Bouillet Henri, L'Orfèvrerie française du XVIIIe et XIXe siècles, H. Laurens, Paris, 1912, p.284.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Le Magazine de PROANTIC
TRÉSORS Magazine
Rivista Artiquariato
