Wine Cooler
1800/50
Medium
Silver gilt
Dimensions
28 × 30.7 × 23.1 cm (11 × 12 1/16 × 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
porcelain
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
107764
Art Historical Context
This elegant wine cooler, crafted by the renowned French silversmith Jean Baptiste Claude Odiot between 1800 and 1850, exemplifies the refined luxury of early nineteenth-century European applied arts. Standing 28 centimeters tall and rendered in silver gilt, the piece would have gleamed with a warm, golden luster, transforming a functional object into a statement of sophistication for aristocratic dining tables. Odiot’s workshop was celebrated for its masterful metalwork, and this cooler reflects the period’s taste for ornate yet practical serving vessels. Silver gilt, created by applying a t...