A PAIR OF FRENCH SILVER WINE COOLERS, Fannière Frères, Paris, 19th Century

of campana form, the bodies cast with bacchic procession, the projecting handles capped by satyr masks rising from grape clusters, the pedestal bases cast with lions and goat pelts, detachable liners with slotted cavity walls, matte-fluted detachable collars

Sotheby's, New York, 19 October 1999, lot 88

Henri Bouilhet, L'Orfèvrerie Francaise aux XVIIIe et XIXe Siècles, Vol. 3 (the model).

one collar needs a little straightening at edge, good condition
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This model of wine cooler was made as part of a table service for the German statesman the Prince of Hohenlohe and shown at the Exposition of 1867. 

At the time of the Exhibition of 1862, Paul Christofle listed A. & F. Fannière as the foremost French firm, noting that they were "at the same time designers, sculptors, chasers and silversmiths" (cited Bouilhet).   An English reviewer noted that their "works in silver, taken from an artistic point of view, whether in respect of design or execution, found few if any rivals in the whole Exhibition. They were distinguished by a crispness, delicacy and vigour which served admirably to carry out the richness of fancy displayed in their designs' (Waring, Masterpieces, vol. 3 pl. 265, quoted in John Culme, Nineteenth Century Silver, p. 205).