Period: late 19thCentury
Maker: Léontine Compère
These beautiful French spoons by Léontine Compère are in an organic Rococo/Art Nouveau style. The handles and stems have moulded acanthus leaves and the undersides of the bowls also have fluid Rococo/Art Nouveau embossments of swirling acanthus and flowers.
On the front of the bowl, near the stem, are two tiny impressed marks. One is the trademark lozenge of a running rabbit and the initials for ‘Veuve Ernest Compère’ [the widow of Ernest Compère]. Ernest Compère was a famous silversmith with a shop at 79 rue Quincampoix in Paris. His widow Léontine took over the business when he died in 1888. The other stamp is miniscule, but is the boar’s head symbol, indicating that the silver has a purity of 80%. The spoons are contained in an old, silk-lined square box.
Condition The spoons are nearly pristine, with only very slight rubbing. The outside of the box is worn and scuffed, and the silk lining is stained in places.
Spoons Length: 13.5 cm
Case 17.7 cm x 17.7 cm x 4 cm
Weight of single spoon: 85.8 g
Weight of case with spoons: 482 g
Silver content of spoons: 80%
Origin: Paris, France
