Travel kit signed Maire – Paris, circa 1789

An interesting travel and toiletry case in mahogany from Saint-Domingue, fitted with gilt brass mounts, bearing the engraved signature on the inner rim: “Made by Maire, Toiletry Case Maker, Rue Saint-Honoré near Rue de Grenelle in Paris.”

This luxurious case perfectly illustrates the craftsmanship of Pierre-Dominique Maire (1763–1827), a renowned silversmith and toiletry case maker active in Paris at the end of the 18th century. A rival of Martin-Guillaume Biennais, the future goldsmith to Napoleon I, Maire collaborated closely with several renowned goldsmiths, including Jacques-Brice Beaufort, to whom several pieces in this case are attributed.

The silver fittings bear the Paris 1789 guarantee hallmark (letter P under a closed crown, year 89) as well as, on some pieces, the lictor's mark (French Republic, 1793–1798), and several Minerva hallmarks, indicating replacements or additions made in the 19th century.

These marks perfectly document the pivotal period of the Revolution, discussed in the work of Silvercollection.it dedicated to the "Forgotten Goldsmiths of 1788–1793."

The interior, lined with its original green leather, is molded to hold a rich array of silver items: a large oval basin; several cut-glass pots and flasks with silver mounts; a milk jug with removable ebony handles; toiletry boxes, one with a vermeil interior, and accessories; and an oval mirror attached to the underside of the lid. - There is also a safe at the bottom for valuables, with its key.

The same initials, L.D., are finely engraved on the silver lids and on the brass medallion inlaid on the lid of the case, attesting to a custom order for a member of the Parisian nobility or upper middle class.

Maire vanity cases, whether intended for civilian or military travel, represent one of the pinnacles of French luxury craftsmanship at the cusp of the Ancien Régime and the Consulate. They bring together the most prestigious disciplines—cabinetmaking, small decorative objects, goldsmithing, glassmaking, leatherwork, and marquetry—and embody that French taste for practical refinement that made Parisian craftsmanship famous throughout Europe.

Dimensions:

Width: 41 cm
Depth: 26 cm
Height: 13.5 cm

Period: Louis XVI – circa 1789
Maker: Pierre-Dominique Maire, rue Saint-Honoré, Paris
Silversmith: Jacques-Brice Beaufort
Hallmarks: Paris 1789, Lictor (Republic), Minerva (19th century)
Condition: Superbly preserved, leather interior, original cloverleaf lock without key.

Comparisons and references:

– Maire mahogany and silver case by Beaufort and Blaquière, Osenat Fontainebleau sale, June 8, 2008 (lot 392)

– Maire dressing table in mahogany, silver, and Nast porcelain, Artcurial sale, 2008 (lot 16)

– Marshal Kellermann dressing table, Paris 1808, Sotheby’s sale (lot 95)

– Bibliography: Anne Dion-Tenenbaum, “Martin-Guillaume Biennais: an exceptional career,” Annales historiques de la Révolution française, no. 340, 2005.

Ref: VKSI8SQHFK