Silver tray by Cardeilhac with ginkgo leaves, France, 1885-1904

Marks: French Minerva hallmark for silver, and the silversmith's mark EC, surmounted by the Légion d'Honneur and a crescent moon, for Ernest Cardeilhac, active from 1885 to 1904.

Founded in Paris in 1804 by Vital Antoine Cardeilhac, the House of Cardeilhac quickly established itself as one of the foremost names in French silverwork. The firm received numerous distinctions at the major international exhibitions of the nineteenth century, culminating in a Gold Medal at the Exposition Universelle of 1878. In 1855, it was appointed official cutler and silversmith to Napoleon III.

Under the direction of Ernest Cardeilhac (1851–1904), grandson of the founder, the firm reached the height of its creative achievement, producing highly original artistic silverwork. Many of these pieces are now held in major international museum collections, including the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the Musée d'Orsay, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian Institution.

The firm was subsequently passed on to Ernest's sons, Jacques and Pierre, in 1920, and was ultimately acquired by Christofle in 1951. Christofle continued the Cardeilhac legacy by marketing sterling silver pieces under the Cardeilhac name until 1989.

Condition : Good overall condition, with a few fine surface scratches visible in the photographs and minor wear consistent with age and use.