A marvellous treasure of renaissance cups, spoons, saltcellars and a jug are exhibited a Ecouen this spring
In 2006 a particularly impressive collection of renaissance silver was found in a garden in the small village of Pouilly-sur-Meuse in Lorraine in France. The collection was put up for sale at Sotheby’s, but was declared a national treasure and secured for a sum of €1,4 mill. Its final resting place is the Musée Lorrain at Nancy. This spring, however, the treasure is exhibited at the Musée National de la Renaissance at Ecouen North of Paris.
The collection consists of 31 pieces of silver, some of which are embellished with engraved and gilded decorations. The pieces, which date from the late 15th and the 16th century, were probably collected in the same family over several generations. Not quite spectacular, they are believed to have belonged to a wealthy, but not in anyway princely household. Some of the later pieces can be identified as stemming from workshops in Paris, Reims, Châlon-en Champagne and Strasbourg. It is believed that the collection of silver was buried in connection with the French Wars of Religion 1562 – 98.
The collection is nearly unique. Most French renaissance silver was melted down in the wars in the 17th century and only a few remarkable pieces may still be seen. Many of these belong to the collections of the Musée National de la Renaissance. Thus, although the treasure of Pouilly-sur-Meuse is the pièce de résistance of the current exhibition, it has been accompanied by a veritable feast of tapestries, paintings, prints, cutlery and other eating utensils from the same period. The exhibition attempts to showcase the culture and traditions behind the grand feasts as well as ordinary daily life in early renaissance France.
The exhibition is accompanied by a catalogue with exceptional photos, a general presentation of the objects and their context as well as a presentation of other similar finds.
Trésors enfouis de la Renaissance. Autour de Pouilly-sur-Meuse
Éditions de la Rmn – Grand Palais 2012
L’invention d’un trésor. Vaisselles précieuses et arts de la table à la Renaissance
Musée national de la Renaissance.
Château d’Ecouen, 95440 Ecouen
04.04.2012–02.07.2012