Showcase 41. Art of French silversmiths of the XVIIth to early XVIIIth century

At the beginning of the XVIIIth century in Western Europe the pride of the place moved from German to French jewellers. The showcase represents gold and silver articles executed by French craftsmen in style of Regence, rococo and classicism.

Diplomatic and trading relations between Russia and France, established in the XVIth century, were not confirmed by ambassadorial gifts. Therefore almost all the exhibits in the showcase were commissioned. Many artworks by French makers of the late XVIIth-early XVIIIth centuries were melted down. Only few pieces have survived and found their place in the Armoury treasury.

XVIIIth-century France dictated the fashions in Europe. Russian monarchs commissioned the best French jewellers to execute gold toilet sets, boxes, snuffboxes and services. Many of the articles, displayed in the showcase, are the constituents of the services commissioned by Catherine the Great in the 1770s for for official receptions, i.e. items from the Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan and Yekaterinoslav services. Also we can see the Orlov service which consisted of more than three thousand pieces and intended for forty persons. A small part of the service was preserved in the State Hermitage and Armoury Chamber, such as soup tureens, wine slides, plates, candlesticks and shell-like dishes for butter.