Crafted by French master silversmith Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret, this period Louis XV tureen boasts exceptional decoration, including delicate and refined engraving, shell and acanthus accents, and a remarkably detailed cast finial of cauliflower, celery and carrots. Thanks to a very strict guild system, French silver has always been among the finest in the world. It was also subject to the various fiscal crises of the late 17th and 18th centuries, as both Louis XIV and Louis XV issued edicts demanding that all silver be brought to the mint for melting, with the resulting coin to be used to replenish depleted state treasuries. French silver from this extravagant era survives only in relatively small quantities, and is thus in great demand by collectors. The tureen is marked on the interior lid and underside. The large object charge mark identified as a crown over the letter “A” made of a trumpet and vines was used in Paris after 1783. The mark of the Maison Commune, identified as a crown over the number 84 over entwined flora, was used in Paris in the year 1784. Hallmarked Paris, 1784 8” wide x 14”’ length x 10 3/4” high Jean-Baptiste-François Chéret became a master gold and silversmith in 1759, when he was just thirty-one years old. He later became a tax inspector, testing pieces of silver to ensure that they contained the correct quantity of metals, and rose to become a chief inspector.