AN EXTENSIVE FRENCH STERLING SILVER FLATWARE SERVICE
Tétard Frères, Paris, early 20th century
In the Versailles pattern, comprising sixty dinner forks, forty-five soup spoons, fifty-eight dinner knives, fifty-seven dessert forks, forty-six dessert spoons, seventy dessert knives, thirty-six salad forks, twenty-four sauce spoons, nine luncheon knives, thirty-six lobster picks, thirty-six oyster forks, thirty-five snail forks, thirty-six butter spreaders, ten egg spoons, twelve pastry forks, thirty-six cake forks, thirty-five ice cream spoons, twenty-five tea spoons, thirty-seven mocha spoons, and fifty-two serving pieces; total weighable silver approximately 1,070oz troy (754)

Inside a Louis XV marble top marquetry lacquered cabinet, 18th century.
height of cabinet 34 3/4in (88cm); width 43 1/2in (110.5cm); depth 16in (40.5cm).
Footnotes:
Edmond Tétard (French, 1860-1901) established his shop in central Paris in 1880 after taking over the firm from his mentor, noted silversmith Émile Hugo. The firm specialized in Louis XV style tableware and flatware to the highest standard. A few years into the shop's formation, Tétard received the gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. As indicated by their moniker 'Silversmith to the King', Tétard was a principal silversmith to French aristocracy.

As with many silver companies of the time, Edmond's sons, George, Henri, and Jacques, followed in their father's trade and inherited the company in 1901 after Edmond's death. To solidify the family legacy, they changed the company's name to Tétard Frères. The firm has continuously evolved in style with various designers at the forefront, including Valery Bizouard and Louis Tardy, with a particular flair for Art Deco. Another ten medals were awarded to the company at the 1931 International Exhibition.

This extensive flatware service in the Versailles pattern continues the allure of royalty by the firm. Scrolls and lines decorate the otherwise geometric form creating a rich, but simple design. The angled models and clean lines also allude to the influences of Art Deco of the company. Such an extensive and pristine service is difficult to find, and this service perfectly exemplifies the grandeur and appeal of traditional dinner parties.

Provenance
The flatware: Suger, Paris, 30 June 1984.
The cabinet: Bernard Steinitz Antiquaire, Paris, 14 November 1984.