Antique French sterling silver teapot. This charming and substantial teapot features a classical form with elegant neoclassical styling. Just perfect for tea or coffee with friends and family, together charming Limoges tea cups and macaroons! An exquisite gradrooned or fluted pattern decorates the lid, body and graceful spout. Embellished with laurel garland swags. The domed lid topped with a casted berry finial, with gardrooned thumb-piece mounted on the hinge. Carved elegant shaping to the rosewood handle. Impressive acanthus capped legs resting on ram hoof feet, lovely detail to the fur capped hooves. This utterly charming teapot is in very good antique condition with general wear / some surface scratches commensurate with age and use. Measures 8" tall x 9" length. Weighs 851.6 grams. Hallmarked with the French Minerve 1st standard mark used from 1838, which depicts the goddess Minerva with a number 1 beside her denoting content of 950/1000 (of 95% pure silver and a higher finesse than .925 sterling). Signed Leon Lapar Paris on the base. Bearing maker's marks for silversmith for Georges Fouquet-Lapar, active from 1897-1925, his workshop was located 25 Rue de Choiseul in Paris. Georges Fouquet-Lapar served his apprenticeship under his father-in-law, Léon Lapar and registered his own mark in 1897. The Leon Lapar signature at the base, and mark of this son in law, leads us to believe this teapot to date to circa 1897.