Set of Two Silver-Plated Woven Wire Oval Baskets and Vide-Poches, France, circa 1900

This matching pair of oval baskets is executed in silver-plated metal wire worked in a fine, even basketweave, each piece identical in size and construction. The sides rise in a gentle, slightly flared curve from a flat base, and the rim of each basket is finished with a neat border of twisted wire that ensures structural rigidity and a crisp, decorative finish. The warm antique tone of the aged silver plating gives the pair a distinguished patina well befitting their age and provenance.

Matching pairs of woven wire baskets such as these were produced in considerable quantities by French silver-plating workshops from the second half of the nineteenth century through the early twentieth, intended for use at either end of the dinner table — one for bread, one for rolls — or as a coordinated set of vide-poches in an entrance hall or dressing room. The value of a matched pair lies not only in its practical utility but in the aesthetic satisfaction of symmetry at table, a principle central to the French art of entertaining.

The production of woven wire silver-plated objects required considerable manual skill: individual wires were drawn to a precise gauge, cut to length, and interwoven by hand in a process analogous to traditional basket-weaving, before being subjected to the electrolytic silver-plating bath. The result — a metallic textile with the warmth and texture of a woven material — represents one of the most appealing achievements of the Belle Époque decorative arts industry.

In good vintage condition, with the natural oxidation consistent with pieces of this age. Both baskets are intact, with weave and rim undamaged. A charming and versatile pair, suited to a wide range of household uses or display as matching decorative objects.