Antique Chalice and Paten in Solid Gilt Silver. Démarquet Brothers. France, 1892

Delicate antique gold-plated solid silver chalice with its paten, preserved in its original storing case and in very good condition. Both pieces were made in France in 1892. It bears two hallmarks: the one for quality French silver and the goldsmiths mark. These were Démarquet Frères (Louis and Arthur Démarquet, brothers). The set is a very appealing piece for its sober design; the chalice bears a subtle hand-engraved decoration, quite delicate and beautiful. Both pieces show a gold-plated finish that provides them with richness and elegance, making up a set as decorative as authentic. The chalice stands out for its style and personality. It is fully made of quality solid silver and has an ample lobed base with a shiny polished edge. The rest of the bases surface shows a matt finish over which the engraved decoration stands out. This decoration is composed of irregular and asymmetrical vegetal motifs, polished and shiny too. One of the vegetal shapes is tangling up a front Latin cross in a lovely and original way. If we turn the chalice upside down we will see a series of hand-engraved dedications (names) and the year of manufacture, 1892. The shiny stem bears a fine main node with delicate embossed vegetal shapes and a secondary node too. The cups bottom part is embellished with an engraved decoration that reproduces the wavy vegetal motifs of the base. This part has a matt finish, while the top (separated from the bottom part by a wavy fringe) is polished and shiny. The edge is matt again; this mixture of textures creates an interesting game that turns this chalice into a very original piece. Just by the edge we can see the hallmarks stated before, the Démarquet mark (with a capital D) and the one for French silver. The paten bears the same French Silver hallmarks and is decorated with an embossed IHS acronym (standing for Jesus Christs Greek name) framed by crowns. This antique solid-silver chalice and paten set shines for its great game of textures, original decoration and amazing presence. It is a strongly personal item, perfect for every lover of sacred art. Measurements: Chalice: Bases Width: 5.51 in / 14 cm. Cups Width: 3.74 in / 9.5 cm. Height: 9 in / 23 cm. Weight: 445 g. Paten: Diameter: 5.11 in / 13 cm. Weight: 70 g.