Maison Christofle, under the direction of Paul Christofle (French, 1838-1907) Important prize trophy awarded to Monsieur Louradour in Mirandol, 1873 in silver, awarded by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Trade and Public Works. It is topped by a rond-bosse of the goddess Ceres resting on a pedestal with the inscription "CONCOURS GENERAL AGRICOLE DE CAHORS / DECERNEE A Mr LOURADOUR A MIRANDOL". The bowl features an embossed decoration of four scenes of work in the fields, captioned "PATURAGE, MOISSON, VENDANGE, LABOURAGE". The rim is underlined with the inscription "MINISTERE DE L'AGRICULTURE DU COMMERCE ET DES TRAVAUX PUBLICS MDCCCLXXIII". The tapered, fluted shaft is framed by vine branches and finished with wheat sheaves. The circular base features an ox, a ram, a sheep and a sickle in the round. Resting on four openwork scrolled feet, richly decorated and chased with bunches of leaves. Minerve hallmark, 1st title. Goldsmith's hallmark "CC" with a bee surmounted by three stars for Christofle et Cie, inscribed in 1853. Signed "CHRISTOFLE Ft (fecit) 1873". Based on a model by sculptors Eugène Capy (French, 1829-1894) and Pierre-Louis Rouillard (French, 1820-1881). Height 65 cm, diameter 41.5 cm. Weight 9.050 g. Christofle, under the direction of Paul Christofle, 1873. An impressive silver trophy awarded by the French Ministry of agriculture to the winner of the 1873 Cahors Concours Général Agricole. After a model by Eugène Capy and Pierre-Louis Rouillard. Bibliography: Yves Badetz in Daniel Alcouffe (dir.), "L'Art en France sous le Second Empire", cat. exp. Paris, Grand Palais, May 11 - August 13 1979, Paris, Ed. RMN, Notice 79. THE 1873 AGRICULTURAL COMPETITION CUP, by Philippe Rouillac with Brice Langlois Symbol of the French renaissance Awarded in 1873 at the Cahors agricultural competition, this trophy - one of the first to be presented in France after the defeat of 1870 - became the symbol of the French renaissance. This competition was part of a drive to promote agricultural products, following on from the one held in Poissy since 1843, then under the Second Empire, and which continues today at the Porte de Versailles. Presenting this "silver cup worth 3,500 francs to Mr. Louradour of the Mirandol estate for the magnificent results obtained [...] by putting into practice, for more than twenty years, the principles of agricultural science taught at Grignon", the Prefect of the Lot department emphasized that "at the end of the trials which have so painfully darkened the preceding years, in the midst of the serious circumstances of the present time, is it not a consoling and fortifying sight to behold the fruitful work of the farmers of France? The farmer from the commune of Martel was awarded the "Prime d'Honneur" for the "Prix Culturel de Première Catégorie". Christofle in the spotlight The model of our trophy is presented for the first time at the 1862 Universal Exhibition in London. In addition to Charles Christofle, who won another award at the show, sculptors Eugène Capy and Pierre-Louis Rouillard collaborated on this important piece of silverware. The former supplied the model of Ceres, while the latter worked on the animals and, presumably, the bas-reliefs. It seems, however, that the prototype for this piece had been conceived at least a year earlier, as suggested by the photographic collections of Christofle silverware (Christofle archives). At the 1861 Salon, Charles Christofle exhibited a "gold and silver cup" donated by the Ministry of Agriculture for the regional competitions of the same year. As with our trophy, Eugène Capy was involved in this project, as well as collaborating on the one for the Hôtel de Ville and the gilded bronze one for Napoleon III. However, the sculptor Auguste Madroux, who helped with the prototype, was replaced by Pierre-Louis Rouillard, who contributed to the sculptural decor of the Louvre. Neoclassical inspiration The figure of Ceres is treated here in the neoclassical style, with the drapery, the drooping folds and the laurel wreath recalling, among other things, the art of antiquity. The bowl thus offers a composite stylistic repertoire: the bas-reliefs around its rim are treated realistically, while the ox and sheep are depicted naturalistically. In any case, as Yves Badetz, Chief Curator of Heritage, points out, the figurative motifs of this trophy can be found in other pieces destined to be offered at agricultural competitions, such as the Ceres, produced on its own to be placed on the market.