4 - Silver oil cruet holder and stoppers resting on four feet with shell motifs and scrollwork; the tray is shuttle-shaped, with scroll-decorated ends and stopper holders; the cruet holders feature uprights with cartouche and scroll motifs; the reverse side of the tray is engraved with “PLM,” the stoppers chiseled with rocaille and foliage motifs. Hallmarks: Paris, 1758–1759, and Master Goldsmith: Éloi GUERIN—Stoppers: Paris, 1762–1768. Weight: 1,090 g

Silver oil cruet holder and stoppers resting on four feet with shell motifs and scrollwork; the tray is shuttle-shaped, with scroll-decorated ends and stopper holders; the cruet holders feature uprights with cartouche and scroll motifs; the reverse side of the tray is engraved with “PLM,” the stoppers chiseled with rocaille and foliage motifs. Hallmarks: Paris, 1758–1759, and Master Goldsmith: Éloi GUERIN—Stoppers: Paris, 1762–1768. Weight: 1,090 g Note: Éloi Guérin, a goldsmith in Paris, began his apprenticeship with Jean-François Cruchet on May 23, 1719. On May 20, 1727, he had his hallmark—consisting of the initials “EG” accompanied by a sun—registered under the sponsorship of his former master. He renewed it on August 4, 1733. His workshop was located on Quai Pelletier, under the sign of the Fleur-de-Lis. On December 10, 1738, the Court of Coins inspected his forge, whose basement location was deemed non-compliant, and ordered its demolition. Guérin contested this decision, explaining that the apparent lowering of his workshop’s level was due to the raising of Quai Pelletier. He also argued that he could not relocate his forge, whose structure he had reinforced so that it could withstand the stresses associated with the stamping operations required to manufacture his filleted and shell-patterned cutlery. This specialization made him one of the capital’s leading manufacturers of spoons and cutlery. His business, however, was not limited to table silverware: a notice published in the *Affiches de Paris* on October 11, 1752, also attests to his production of gold goblets. On December 31, 1741, Guérin married Marie-Jeanne Maria while residing on Rue de la Monnaie. He subsequently took on two apprentices in his workshop: Vincent Bréant on November 23, 1743, and then Pierre-Nicolas Sommé on August 13, 1750. On June 12, 1760, he returned his hallmark, thus marking the end of his career as a goldsmith. His postmortem inventory, drawn up on September 23, 1761, attests to the scope of his business and the diversity of the items he sold. It notably includes gold snuffboxes, jewelry, candlesticks, a large quantity of tableware, an abundance of silverware, and a remarkable stock of cutlery and table utensils. This stock included, among other items, 62 knives with silver blades and handles, 47 knife handles, 19 dozen coffee spoons, 12 dozen pieces of cutlery, 21 sugar spoons, and 78 stew spoons. These quantities illustrate the importance of mass production in his business and the prominent position he held in the Parisian table silverware market. After his death, his widow continued to run the workshop from another location on Rue de la Monnaie until her own death on February 15, 1778. Provenance: Private collection in Cannes Appraiser: Sancy Expertise Paris - Florian Doux