Empire Style Silver & Crystal Swing-Handle Basket /Sphinx Decoration, C. 1820

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Empire Style Silver & Crystal Swing-Handle Basket with Sphinx Decoration, Continental, circa 1820–1850

Measurements: 7" high x 6" wide x … Read more Empire Style Silver & Crystal Swing-Handle Basket with Sphinx Decoration, Continental, circa 1820–1850

Measurements: 7" high x 6" wide x 4.75" deep
Interior Measurements of Crystal Liner 5.75" w x 4" d x 3" h
Silver weight (without liner): 254 grams

An exceptional Empire-style silver and crystal swing-handle basket, its openwork silver walls richly adorned with neoclassical and mythological motifs. The sides are pierced and chased with winged sphinx-sirens supporting baskets of fruit, flanking a central urn overflowing with abundance. Further ornament includes cornucopia, acanthus, and classical scrolls, symbols of fertility, prosperity, and civic virtue. The handle is engraved with a serpent entwined in a geometric frame, emblematic of eternity and guardianship, and is finished with crisply chased medallions. The basket rests on four polished ball feet, an iconic Empire design element.

The interior retains its original hand-blown crystal liner, cut with a starburst base to catch the light. Together, silver and glass would have served as a table centerpiece for bonbons, sweetmeats, or fruits, protecting the silver from acidic foods while presenting luxury to guests.

This refined neoclassical vocabulary reflects the Napoleonic taste for antiquity that spread throughout Continental Europe in the early 19th century. While unmarked, the workmanship suggests a Continental origin—possibly German or Austrian—executed in silver of .800–.900 fineness.

Condition: Excellent, with only minor wear to the silver consistent with age. See less