Orfevrerie Gallia (Christofle) - Silver Plated Louis XV Tea & Coffee service - France, c. 1925

Beautifully decorated 4-piece silver-plated tea and coffee set by Orfevrerie Gallia - a subsidiary of Christofle. In the style of Louis XV, the lobed jugs are decorated with wreaths, acanthus leaves and flower buds. The large format sugar bowl with gilded interior.

Dated c.1925 - Model number 5278.

The set is in top condition and is in excellent condition. The lustre has been beautifully preserved. 

Marked on the bottom with [5278][Gallic Rooster in shield] above [ORFEVRERIE GALLIA][Cat's head in square, flanked by initials C-C for Christofle & Cie/Charles Christofle]. These marks are fairly rare and date from the decade 1921-1931.

The tray also marked with the Gallia marks, accompanied by serial number [5286]. 

_____________________________________

The "Orfevrerie Gallia" was founded by Christofle at the end of the 19th century, and took its name from the alloy of copper and tin that was invented at the end of the 19th century and would be used as the base material for all its products. The French Christofle, at that time mainly operating in the market segment of luxury goods and prestige pieces, found the use of this material so risky that they did not want it directly linked to its own brand name. This is because the Gallia metal was actually inferior to the "Metal Blanc" alloy that had been used for Christofle products until then. Gallia production was housed in the Manufacture de l'Alfenide factory, led by Félix Chéron. However, due to the lower production costs, Gallia did have the budget to also hire well-known designers for their own lines (including Luc Lanel, Maurice Dufrene). Thanks to the beautiful design and lower costs, many of their products became resounding successes. When this realization dawned on Christofle's board, the name Gallia was fully incorporated into Christofle. In 1935 it no longer operated autonomously.   

Additional thanks go to Dr. David N. Nikogosyan for his extensive and in-depth research, which is also freely available on the Internet.