Double Salt (one of a pair)
Martin-Guillaume Biennais
c. 1794-1819
Medium
Gilt silver
Dimensions
Salt bowls: Diam.: 9.5 cm (2 1/8 in.); ; Overall: 22 × 20.5 cm (8 1/2 × 8 1/8 in.)
Classification
dish (vessel)
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
25161
About the Artist
Martin-Guillaume Biennais · 1764–1843
Martin-Guillaume Biennais (1764–1843) was the most celebrated goldsmith and silversmith of the Napoleonic era, a craftsman whose work in precious metals became synonymous with the taste and grandeur of the First Empire. Beginning his career as a toy-maker and lacquer merchant, he made the remarkable transition to goldsmithing in the 1790s, establishing himself in Paris and rapidly attracting the p...