19th Century French Silver Tea or Coffee Cup & Saucer c.1860

This most stylish heavy French solid silver tea or coffee cup and matching saucer are boldly marked in several places with the French high grade Minerva silver mark for .950 grade silver. This restrained piece is of an elegant but simple form with a beautiful naturalistic handle which separates at the top and terminates on all three ends with a fine hand chased leaf. The cup and saucer have a stylish engine turned and dotted decoration with a broad classical Greek boarder above. Each piece has a hand engraved foliate cartouche with the central initials of the original owner, cleverly incorporated into the main decoration.