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Art Nouveau French Silver Wax Seal Desk Stamp Original Box by Charles Murat Circa 1890-1910

Sale price$0.00 SGD

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*Please see notes below for information on Charles Murat*

Stunning and elegant Art Nouveau silver (not plated) desk seal with finely detailed foliate reposse work.

In quite unbelievable condition for its age, with its original box, and best of all without an insignia or initials to the matrix (seal base). Quite obviously never used and remained in its box all these years.

Beautiful crafted and signed with Charles Bertrand Murats sponsor mark of a blackberry with two leaves and CM.  With the boars head standard/purity the mark of the Paris Assay Office, indicating a fineness of 800 or higher. This mark has been used from 1838 to 1961.

Desk seals or wax seals were designed to be used with a sealing wax to personalise your correspondence such as invitations, letters, thank you cards etc.. the base of the seal would be engraved with you ‘stamp’ which may have been your initials or a personal emblem.

This particular piece has been waiting for over 100 years to find it’s forever home and its new owner to inscribe it with their personal crest or insignia. A lovely addition to any collection or dressing table.

STONES
None

MEASUREMENTS
8cm high
1.5cm widest point
1.5cm x 1.2cm matrix

WEIGHT
20.65 Grams

MARKS
‘CM blackberry/leaves’ for Charles Murat
‘Boars head’ Gaurantee/Purity mark for silver

CONDITION
Excellent, appears never to have been used. Box is is fair to good condition, with slight discolouration to pale yellow velvet lining at base, yellow silk to inside top of box very good, no rust stains. Nicks here and there to outside of box, to corners mainly. Box clasp snaps shut firmly

History of Charles Bertrand Murat
Charles Bertrand Murat, born on 1 April 1818 in Toulon, started his career by creating a factory of gold-plated jewellery. Murat, with his premises at 62 rue des Archives, manufactured chains, bracelets, rings, etc.

Murat & Cie, manufacturer jeweller at 62 rue des Archives, registered its sponsor’s mark on the 3rd of July 1884 and the 20th of August 1884.

Murat exhibited and received prizes at the Universal Exhibitions of 1855 in Paris, 1862 in London, 1867 in Paris, 1876 in Philadelphia and again in Paris in 1878.
Jacques Louis Georges, oldest son of Charles Murat, born 16 December 1851 in Paris, died 24 December 1918 in Paris. Around 1889 he succeeded to his father and registered a maker’s mark "CM and a mulberry with two leaves" on 3 June 1897 at the Guarantee Office of Paris.

He continued his career just as his father as an industrial jeweller and politician.
By 1900 the Maison Murat, at 62 rue des Archives, was an important business, and a large part of its production consisted in silverware, cutlery and silver tableware, including tumblers, napkin rings, cups for coffee, tea and chocolate, etc.

(Credit Silvercollection.it)

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