74 - SILVER TASTEVIN (SOMMELIER’S WINE-TASTING CUP) BY MARC PARROD. DIJON, FRANCE, 1903–1944.

SILVER TASTEVIN (SOMMELIER’S WINE-TASTING CUP) BY MARC PARROD. DIJON, FRANCE, 1903–1944. A small silver tastevin, or traditional wine-tasting cup, made by the Dijon silversmith Marc Parrod, who worked in Dijon between 1903 and 1944. The cup is of characteristic low, rounded form with a broad open rim. This construction was traditionally intended to facilitate the visual assessment of a wine’s colour, clarity and nuances during tasting. The smooth polished surface of the silver enhances the reflection of light and emphasizes the functional purpose of the object. The tastevin is distinguished by its particularly expressive ring-shaped handle fashioned in the form of a stylised serpent. This zoomorphic treatment belongs to the traditional repertoire of Burgundian wine-tasting cups, transforming a small utilitarian object into a characteristic example of regional French silverwork. Hallmarks: French official assay mark depicting the head of Minerva (Minerve); diamond-shaped maker’s mark of Marc Parrod (Dijon) with the initials “M P” and an arrow emblem. Dimensions: Height 2 cm, width 9.5 cm. Weight: 58 g. Width: 9.5cm, Height: 2cm, Depth: 7.5cm, Weight: 0.058kg, Condition: Good, Material: Silver 800, ID: ID-ANTQ-5807