Ecclesiastical silver-plated cutlery of a Latin Archbishop - Christofle – 97-piece – Chinon & Baguette - The Papal States, 1860-1868

An antique and historically important silver-plated cutlery set, consisting of 97 pieces.

The Papal States, 1860-1868.

On the 20th of september, 1870, forces of the unified kingdom of Italy breached the walls of Rome and abolished the Papal States. As such, the owner of this cutlery saw both the unification of Italy and the final fall of the State that had dictated European politics since early medieval times.
The pieces were manufactured by Christofle, Paris, and executed in the classic Chinon model – one of the oldest collections of the French silver house. Noteworthy also are the antique serving pieces, such as sugar shakers, an ice cream scoop, and a silver fish scoop. 

The cutlery was once purchased by, or for, an archbishop of patrician heritage.
The handles engraved with an ecclesiastical device: the Galero - with two garlands, each arm holding 10 tassels. Within it, the coat of arms of the Bella family. This patrician family originated in Ferentino, Lazio - a town some 80 kilometers from Rome. 

Within the Catholic Church, the Galero is both a garment and a symbol: the hat was worn by high-ranking clergy. The rank of the wearer could be determined by the number of tassels hanging from each arm. The cutlery comes in a beautiful dark canteen of solid wood with a hinged lid, the three drawers lined with red felt on the inside and fitted with polished brass knobs.

Consisting of:

- 12 dinner spoons
- 9 dinner knives
- 12 dinner forks
- 10 appetizer/breakfast spoons
- 12 appetizer/breakfast knives (in the Baguette pattern)
- 12 appetizer/breakfast forks
- 12 coffee spoons
- 6 dessert spoons – with an image of the Virgin Mary
- 6 dessert forks – with an image of the Virgin Mary

Serving cutlery:

- Soup ladle
- Vegetable spoon
- Ice cream scoop
- Chinon sugar spoon
- Sugar spoon (in the Rocaille pattern. This piece bears the coat of arms of another Latin bishop)
- German silver fish serving knife (.835 silver – marked with a Crescent and Crown)

Despite the fact that – given its age of about 160 years – signs of wear can be expected, the set is nevertheless in good condition. There is silver wear on some forks. The steel blades of the dinner knives are corroded. We have polished the cutlery with care and to the best of our ability. As a result, it shines again as it would have in the 19th century.

The pieces of cutlery bear the oldest Christofle hallmarks:

[C-Balance-C in oval][60][Christofle]. The “60” here refers to the production year 1860]
[ALFENIDE][C-Balance-C in square][68 for 1868][Christofle].
[A bee inside rhombus in square][CHRISTOFLE]. This mark was in use between 1860 and 1914.

The dessert spoons and forks with the Virgin Mary by a different – ​​unknown – maker.

The coat of arms is applied to the dinner spoons, dinner knives, coffee spoons, the vegetable spoon, and the sugar shaker.