French Pear-Form Silver-Plated Liqueur Cellar with Smoked Glass Service, circa 1970

This liqueur cellar takes the unexpected and charming form of a pear in polished silver-plated metal, its silhouette perfectly rendered and surmounted by a finely chased stem and leaf serving as a handle. The "fruit" lifts away from the base — a circular bowl on three ball feet — to reveal its contents: a smoked glass carafe with a spherical black stopper and a set of small matching liqueur glasses nested in the cavity of the silver base. The ensemble constitutes a complete service, as pleasing to look at as it is to use.

The sculptural pear form belongs to the playful strain of French decorative arts in the 1960s and 1970s, which favoured surprise objects, unusual forms and compositions where discreet humour mingles with elegance. This liqueur cellar is the perfect example of an object that entertains its guests before even being opened: the pear placed on the table arouses curiosity, and its unveiling is invariably a moment of quiet theatre.

The smoked glass carafe and matching glasses play beautifully against the silver-plated shell: the smoke of the glass answers the brilliance of the silver, creating a sophisticated and elegant contrast. Liqueur cellars of this type — with integrated carafe and glasses — were prized wedding gifts and table pieces in 1970s France, appreciated as signs of savoir-vivre and social refinement.

In fine condition, the silver-plated metal retains its lustre and the smoked glass is intact. An original collector's piece, full of charm and wit — as happy on a service table as it is in a vitrine or cabinet.