Silver centrepiece. Veuve Flament & Léon Champenois, Paris, 1890-1894. In the Louis XV style, decorated with a nacelle richly chased and openworked with rocaille motifs, adorned with a chimera-headed prow surmounted by a triton blowing into a conch, animated by a putto holding the dolphin-shaped rudder at the stern. The nave appears to be sailing on a curved oval plateau with abundant decoration of ripples, shells and waterfalls. The structure rests on six legs, four of which are scrolled and engraved with scales. Removable silver interior. Hallmarks: Minerve, Paris, 1890-1894. Goldsmith's hallmark: Veuve Flament & Léon Champenois. Age wear, small chips and accidents. Length : 58.5 cm - Height : 33.5 cm - Width : 35 cm. Weight: 11.6 kg. History: The centrepiece, known as a "surtout de table", is the heir to the automata found at the great banquets of the Middle Ages. The first description of a centrepiece appears in an issue of the Mercure Galant in 1681: "In the middle of the table there was a large gilded vermeil centrepiece. These kinds of works were invented a short time ago. They remain on the table throughout the meal. They are made in several different designs. They are often enriched with figures and bear a number of things for table use, so that you cannot wish for anything necessary for a meal unless you find it there". At the time, these objects played a utilitarian role, allowing sugar, salt and oil shakers to be placed at the centre of the table, followed later by candles, fruit and floral decorations. From then on, the royal courts of Europe and abroad commissioned French silversmiths to compete in elegance and originality to make the table and its style a world reference. Thomas Germain (1673-1748), son of the famous silversmith Pierre Germain (1645-1684), supplied Louis XV at Versailles and the courts of Portugal, Sweden, Spain and Russia. Under the First Empire, a model similar to our gondola-shaped centrepiece was made in gilt by the Maison Odiot, a symbol of opulence and prestige, to mark the second marriage of Napoleon I to Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria on 2 April 1810. The model in question contained the eating utensils and napkins of the Emperor and Empress, as was customary at the French court under King Louis XIV. Thereafter, the centrepiece retained only its decorative aspect, which was then often embellished with a pair of torches, goblets and decorative elements, as illustrated by the "fritillary" centrepiece commissioned by Emperor Napoleon III from the goldsmith Émile Froment-Meurice (1837-1913), now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris (14338). Biography: Léon Champenois was a French silversmith listed in Paris at 140 rue du Temple between 1894 and 1895. His collaboration with Madame Veuve Flament is characteristic of the historicism of the late 19th century, which drew its inspiration from past eras, in this case the rocaille style of the reign of Louis XV. Reference: A similar centrepiece made by the same silversmiths as our model was presented at Sotheby's in Beijing, during the sale of the Koopman collection (a dealer specialising since 1952 in antique silverware) on 27 November 2014, under lot no. 35.