The third duke of Cadaval of Portugal ordered this nineteen-piece toilet service for the French princess Henriette of Lorraine on the occasion of their marriage in 1739. The only complete French toilet set to survive from the first half of the eighteenth century, it includes a mirror, ewer and basin, candlesticks, jewel boxes, clothes brush, and pin cushion, among other articles.
The royal silversmith Thomas Germain (1673–1748) may have designed this elegant toilet set, actually fabricated by four lesser-known Parisian silversmiths. Commissioned by one of the most important lords of Portugal, the set represents the quality and luxury of the toilet services made for the French court during the first half of the eighteenth century and later melted down or dispersed.
The royal silversmith Thomas Germain (1673–1748) may have designed this elegant toilet set, actually fabricated by four lesser-known Parisian silversmiths. Commissioned by one of the most important lords of Portugal, the set represents the quality and luxury of the toilet services made for the French court during the first half of the eighteenth century and later melted down or dispersed.
Details
| Maker | Sebastien Igonet, French, active 1725 - 1766 or later |
|---|---|
| Maker | Etienne Pollet, French, active 1715 - 1751 |
| Title |
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| Date | between 1738 and 1739 |
| Medium | silver |
| Dimensions | Overall: 2 3/8 × 8 3/4 × 4 7/8 inches (6 × 22.2 × 12.4 cm) Overall (candle snuffer): 7 1/4 × 2 7/16 × 1 3/8 inches (18.4 × 6.2 × 3.5 cm) Overall (tray): 2 1/8 × 8 3/4 × 4 7/8 inches (5.4 × 22.2 × 12.4 cm) |
| Credit Line | Founders Society Purchase, Elizabeth Parke Firestone Collection of Early French Silver Fund |
| Accession Number | 53.188 |
| Department | European Sculpture and Dec Arts |
| On View | Fashionable Living: S330.4, Level 3 (see map) |
Signed, Marks, Inscriptions
| Marks | Mark, engraved on tray, center: [coats of arms of the Dukes of Cadaval and Lorraine] Marks, inside snuffer: [various marks including crowned Y] |
|---|
Provenance
ca. 1738, probably commissioned by Jaime de Mello, 3rd Duke of Cadaval, or by Louis of Lorraine, prince de Lambesc;
May 1739, Henriette-Julie-Gabrielle de Lorraine, Duchesse de Cadaval [1724-1761];
by descent to the family of the Dukes of Cadaval (Lisbon, Portugal);
1931, sold by 9th Duke of Cadaval;
1931, acquired by (Jacques Helft, Paris, France);
1952, Elizabeth and Harvey Firestone, Jr.;
1953-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
May 1739, Henriette-Julie-Gabrielle de Lorraine, Duchesse de Cadaval [1724-1761];
by descent to the family of the Dukes of Cadaval (Lisbon, Portugal);
1931, sold by 9th Duke of Cadaval;
1931, acquired by (Jacques Helft, Paris, France);
1952, Elizabeth and Harvey Firestone, Jr.;
1953-present, purchase by the Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, Michigan, USA)
Published References
Bulletin of the DIA 33, no. 1 (1953-54): p. 12.
Art Quarterly (Autumn 1953): p. 239.
French, English and American Silver. Exh. cat., Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Minneapolis, 1956, no. 37.
Fregnac, C., ed. Les grands orfèvres de Louis XII à Charles X, Collection Connaissance des Arts, Series: Grands Artisans d'autrefois, Paris: Librarie Hachette et Societe d'etudes et de Publications Economiques. 1965, p. 136, 137 (ill.).
Davis, F. French Silver 1450-1825. New York and Washington, 1970, p. 28 (fig. 44).
Hellman, M. "Enchanted Night: Decoration, Sociability, and Visuality after Dark." Paris: Life & Luxury in the Eighteenth Century, ed. C. Bremer-David. Los Angeles, 2011, p. 103, fig. 61 (ill.).
Art Quarterly (Autumn 1953): p. 239.
French, English and American Silver. Exh. cat., Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Minneapolis, 1956, no. 37.
Fregnac, C., ed. Les grands orfèvres de Louis XII à Charles X, Collection Connaissance des Arts, Series: Grands Artisans d'autrefois, Paris: Librarie Hachette et Societe d'etudes et de Publications Economiques. 1965, p. 136, 137 (ill.).
Davis, F. French Silver 1450-1825. New York and Washington, 1970, p. 28 (fig. 44).
Hellman, M. "Enchanted Night: Decoration, Sociability, and Visuality after Dark." Paris: Life & Luxury in the Eighteenth Century, ed. C. Bremer-David. Los Angeles, 2011, p. 103, fig. 61 (ill.).
