Empire vermeil bouillon or drageoir by Louis-Jacques Berger, 1st rooster mark, Paris 1798–1809

Covered bouillon and its stand in gilt solid silver (vermeil, 950/1000).

In the form of an antique-style cup, it rests on a molded foot decorated with a chased frieze of dart motifs highlighted by a fine bead border. The plain body, molded at the rim, is flanked by two scrolling handles formed of acanthus leaves doubling at the shoulder.

The domed lid is adorned with a delicate frieze of finely chased laurel leaves and berries, surmounted by a band of gadroons. It is topped with a finial featuring attributes of Love, in the form of two doves embracing on a naturalistic base, accompanied by a bow and arrow.

Echoing the lid’s rim, the circular stand is bordered with a frieze of barley grains.

Hallmarks (lid, body, foot, and stand)
• Boar’s head with the numeral 1 (Paris guild mark used in 1797 for first standard silver).
• First rooster mark, 1st standard (950/1000 silver, Paris, 1798–1809).
• Paris guarantee mark.
• Maker’s mark: LJB with a vase for Louis-Jacques BERGER.

Dimensions
• Bouillon: H. 16.5 × W. 22 cm
• Stand: D. 21.8 cm

Weight: 932 g

Condition report:
Surface scratches and wear consistent with use. Very well preserved overall. Original vermeil with some wear, while retaining remarkable freshness.


A superb piece displaying the delicate chasing characteristic of the work of Louis-Jacques BERGER. A very rare example of a hollow ware piece by the hand of this accomplished silversmith, who collaborated with Martin-Guillaume BIENNAIS and supplied him with pieces intended for travelling necessaires as well as for the campaign service of Emperor NAPOLEON I.

The finial, remarkable for the quality of its execution, is identical to that adorning the silver-gilt vegetable dish from Napoleon I's travelling necessaire preserved at the Musée Carnavalet. This observation is of particular interest given that BERGER is documented as a supplier to BIENNAIS for several Imperial necessaires. It provides remarkable evidence of the close links uniting the workshops of the two silversmiths during the early years of the nineteenth century.

The presence of the Paris Goldsmiths' Corporation mark for the year 1797 suggests an execution dating from the very end of the Directory period or the early years of the Consulate.

The iconography of the confronting doves, combined with the attributes of Cupid, naturally suggests a commission intended to celebrate a marriage or an important family event.


LOUIS-JACQUES BERGER

Louis-Jacques BERGER was a Parisian silversmith active at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. His maker's mark was registered on 15 Floréal, Year V (4 May 1797).

He first worked at 18 Place Thionville and, from 1806 onwards, at 2 Rue du Pont-de-Lodi.

Specialising in drinking vessels, he also produced ecclesiastical silver, notably chalices of particularly fine workmanship.

BERGER collaborated with the celebrated Martin-Guillaume BIENNAIS, official silversmith to Emperor NAPOLEON Iand exclusive supplier to the Imperial table, to whom he supplied pieces intended to furnish travelling necessaires, including two Imperial necessaires. One, delivered in 1809 and carried by NAPOLEON to Saint Helena, where it remained in his study at Longwood House, was donated by Prince and Princess NAPOLEON to the Musée National du Château de la Malmaison in 1979, where it remains today. The other, known as the "Napoleon I, later Jérôme BONAPARTE necessaire", is preserved within the same institution.

Nine silver beakers by Louis-Jacques BERGER are preserved in the Petit Palais, the Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris. A coffee pot by his hand is held in the collections of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, while a chalice is preserved in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Two beakers from Emperor Napoleon I's campaign service by Louis-Jacques BERGER are also recorded [1].
One of them was included in the exhibition Quand Bonaparte devint Napoléon ("When Bonaparte Became Napoleon") [2] and is illustrated in the catalogue edited by Bernard CROISSY.


[1] – Sotheby's Paris, "Napoléon : Une collection historique", 25 June 2025, lot 99: "Silver beaker from Emperor Napoleon I's campaign service by Louis-Jacques Berger, Paris, 1811–1819". Estimate €15,000–20,000, realised €44,450.
– Giquello Paris, Collection Philippe Missilier, 6 March 2025, lot 234: "Beaker from Napoleon I's campaign service, First Empire, circa 1811–1812. Silver beaker with slightly flared rim, engraved with the Imperial coat of arms". Estimate €10,000–20,000, realised €31,650.

[2] "Quand Bonaparte devint Napoléon", Wasquehal, 31 January – 22 February 2004.