Antique French Bazin & Cie Paris .950 Silver & Natural Horn Salad Serving Spoon & Fork Set

Made in France c. 1900.

Salad Serving Spoon Approximately 11 1/4" Long
Salad Serving Fork Approximately 11 1/4" Long
Combined Gross Weight Approximately 116.4 Grams

Elegant antique French boxed salad serving set attributed to Bazin & Cie of Paris, dating to circa 1900.

The matched set consists of a long salad serving spoon and serving fork combining finely worked French silver handles with beautifully figured natural horn serving ends.

The natural horn displays attractive translucent honey, amber, cream and warm brown tonal variation characteristic of genuine horn.

Each piece is individually patterned by the material itself, giving the spoon and fork a distinctive organic appearance.

Natural horn was a traditional and desirable material for fine salad servers, particularly valued for table service and for its handsome contrast with precious-metal mounts.

The silver handles feature elegant elongated fluting with graduated foliate or feather-like decoration, creating a refined late-19th to early-20th-century French appearance associated with the Belle Époque and Art Nouveau period.

The combination of warm natural horn and richly modeled silver makes the set especially decorative while retaining its original practical purpose as fine tableware.

The set is catalogued as Bazin & Cie, Paris and French First Standard .950 silver. The French Minerva 1 standard denotes .950 fineness, a higher silver purity than the .925 standard commonly referred to as sterling silver.

Bazin & Cie is associated with Paris silver serving wares from this period, including documented boxed serving implements bearing French Minerva hallmarks and the firm's maker's punch. The combination of Paris manufacture, fine silver mounts, natural horn and original fitted presentation case is characteristic of quality French table service of the period.

Importantly, the matching spoon and fork remain housed together in their original fitted presentation case. The shaped interior was specifically formed to accommodate the two long servers, helping preserve the pair together as a complete set.

The case features a brown patterned exterior with decorative metal hardware and a pale fabric-lined fitted interior. The survival of the original case adds considerably to the set's historical interest, completeness and presentation.

 

Condition

Very good antique condition consistent with age and use. The natural horn serving ends retain attractive color, translucency and characteristic natural variation, with expected light surface wear from use. The silver handles show light scratches, tarnish and age-appropriate surface wear while retaining good definition to the decorative work.

The original fitted presentation case shows greater age-related wear than the serving pieces, including rubbing and scuffing to the exterior, wear and oxidation to the metal hardware, and staining, discoloration and wear to the interior fabric and fitted bed. These signs of age are consistent with an original presentation case of this period. Despite the wear, the case remains an important component of the set and contributes substantially to its completeness and display.

Please review all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition description.

Collector's Note

A handsome and increasingly uncommon example of turn-of-the-century French table service, combining substantial 11 1/4-inch proportions, richly figured natural horn, French .950 silver mounts, Parisian workmanship and its original fitted presentation case. The set would make an excellent addition to a collection of antique French silver, Belle Époque tableware, Art Nouveau decorative arts, natural horn serving pieces or fine boxed flatware.