Superb French 950 Silver Art Nouveau 84pc Flatware Set Serves 12
Presented is a fabulous French silver 84 piece flatware set. This set dates to
the early 1900s and was made by Charles Hack. This set is made from French first
standard silver, which has a purity of 950. It's worth noting that this is a
higher silver standard than sterling, which is 925. The set serves 12, with full
dinner size forks and knives, large oval soup or place spoons, luncheon forks,
luncheon knives, dessert spoons, and breakfast knives. Each piece is monogrammed
with CD in the European style, on the back of the handle, as tables were laid
out with the flatware pieces face down. The set features a beautiful floral
design of irises or similar flowers in a sinuous, flowing Art Nouveau style
typical of the time period to which it dates. The knives have carved ebony
handles, very rich and dark. The dinner knives and the luncheon knives have
carbon steel blades, while the smaller knives have silver blades. The pieces
come in three fantastic quality leather-exterior boxes, with the retailer's name
in gold on the interior lining of the lid, A. Deleveau of Paris.
- 12 dinner knives--10 inches long.
- 12 luncheon knives--8 3/8 inches long.
- 12 breakfast knives--8 1/8 inches long.
- 12 dinner forks--8 1/2 inches long.
- 12 large oval soup spoons--8 1/2 inches long.
- 12 luncheon forks--7 3/8 inches long.
- 12 dessert spoons--7 3/8 inches long.
950 purity silver, and the maker's mark for Charles Hack. The 12 knives with
silver blades are also marked with the French Minerva hallmark for 950 purity
silver, and the maker's mark for Charles Hack, though these marks are somewhat
worn. The knives also have the French small article silver guarantee mark of a
boar's head on the collar portion where the handle meets the blade, guaranteeing
a minimum of 800 purity silver.
This set is in great overall condition. The details of the pattern are nice
and crisp. The wooden handles have some minor vertical age lines/splits, but
they are still stable and securely mounted to the blades. There are no breaks,
no dents, no monogram removals, and no repairs.
As with all carbon steel pieces, these knives should be cleaned and dried
after use, as carbon steel is prone to rusting and discoloration. These blades
will darken with use and time, which is perfectly natural for carbon steel
blades. These knives are not dishwasher safe.
The total weight for the set, not including the knives due to their wooden
handles, is 2883 grams or 101.7 regular ounces.
-jm