
Antique 12pc Art Nouveau French Sterling Silver Dessert Set, Forks & Knives, Alphonse Debain
Gorgeous antique Art Nouveau era French sterling silver dessert flatware set by Alphonse Debain. Comprising of 6 forks and 6 knives. Featuring an elegant Art Nouveau floral motif of stylized ginkgo leaves. Engraved with a monogram of interlaced initials BG or GB. The tines and blades enhanced in gold vermeil finish. In good condition with general wear commensurate with age and use. Fully hallmarked with the French Minerve 1st standard mark, which depicts the goddess Minerva with a number 1 beside her to denote a silver content of 950/1000 (of 95% pure silver and a higher finesse than .925 sterling). Bearing maker's marks for silversmith Alphonse Debain, active 1883 to 1911 at 79 rue du Temple, Paris. A lovely diminutive size service, the knives measure 7 1/8" length, forks are 5 7/8". Total silver weight is 325.3 grams.