A Louis XIV silver stand, part of a grand surtout, Elie Pacot, Lille, 1709-10

Christie's, London, 18 April 1829, The property of the late Right Hon. Lord Gwydir, lot 28 (a pair of octagonal...557 oz.18 dwt, Lot 29 a pair of ditto),

with Garrard,

Christie's, London, 12 March 1929, Property of Rt. Hon. Lord Brownlow from Belton House, Grantham; lot 78 (A pair of old French octagonal stands pierced and chased with foliage, strapwork and medallion heads. Bayonne, circa 1690. Maker's mark E,P and an anchor crowned, fitted with English spirit lamps as heaters and plated tops 275 oz.)

with Crichton,

with Jacques Helft,

private collection after 1936

Christie's, Paris, collection d'un amateur, 3-4 October 2012, lot 45

Orfèvrerie française civile de province du XVIe au XVIIIe siècle; Musée des Arts Décoratifs; March -April 1936; no. 149

Three centuries of French domestic silver; New York; Metropolitan Museum of Arts; 1938; no. 6

La table; Paris; Musée des Arts Décoratifs; 1950

Trois siècles d'orfèvrerie française; Rouen; 1952

Le siècle de Louis XIV. Fastes et décors; Paris; Musée des Arts Décoratifs; 1960; no. 417

Les Grands Orfèvres de Louis XIII à Charles X; Paris; 1965; p.78-79

N. Cartier; Les orfèvres de Lille; Louvain; 2005; p. 537

Elie Pacot

This octagonal stand, one of four, belongs to a surtout de table of nineteen pieces dated 1709–1710. It has the maker's mark of the Lille goldsmith Elie Pacot, one of the most artistic craftsmen of his era, who created this magnificent set during the Allied occupation of Lille during the War of the Spanish Succession.

Pacot is both the most renowned and the most mysterious figure in the history of goldsmithing in northern France. Due to new legislation prohibiting anyone from becoming a goldsmith unless they were the son of a master, Pacot was forced to leave his hometown of Bordeaux, just as he was about to achieve his mastership. He chose the city of Lille, likely due to the presence of a fellow apprentice, Jean Renard, who probably facilitated his entry into the trade. However, it was his marriage to the wealthy daughter of a merchant that enabled him to open his workshop.

An opportunist with immense talent, Pacot quickly established himself within the goldsmith community, and his commissions grew increasingly significant. This is evidenced by the fact that, even during the English occupation, he worked a lot and even delivered silver pieces to the Elector of Cologne and the Duke of Marlborough.

His style was innovative and creative, following Parisian fashion by just a few years, suggesting he maintained privileged and regular connections with the capital. This may be due to the fact that his son-in-law, Pierre Tiron, the son of a Parisian master founder, had trained in Paris before completing his apprenticeship in Lille where, unusually, he was admitted “on the recommendation of Prince Eugene and other foreign powers,” whose commander-in-chief was Marlborough. Pacot’s preferred motifs drew from the models of Delaunay and the Regency style, featuring antique profiles, quatrefoils on a trellis background, lambrequins, and lanceolate leaves, all while perfectly mastering every goldsmithing technique.

His numerous connections with foreign troops led to suspicions of collaboration, forcing him to return to Bordeaux at the end of the occupation in 1715, where he lived out his days in wealth, dying in 1721.

The Table Surtout

The earliest table surtouts appeared at the end of the Middle Ages, primarily serving as display stands for fruits and desserts. By the late 17th century, their use had spread across Europe, adopting various styles and designs.

A drawing of the presentation of our grand table surtout set shows its precise arrangement, spanning 4 metres in length and 1.2 metres in width, implying its use in French-style service. In this type of service, all dishes were placed at the centre of the table for guests to help themselves, with some dishes featuring warmers to keep the food hot.

The Surtout's Commissioner: a Mystery and a Hypothesis

Despite its fame, the original commissioner of this surtout remains unknown. It is first mentioned in England during the Gwydir sale in 1829, suggesting an English commissioner, but no further details are provided. All nineteen pieces were purchased by the silver dealer and manufacturer Garrard, who modified them for resale.

Who could have commissioned such a grand service?

The surtout weighs over 84 kg, a significant amount for such a turbulent period. In 1709, metal was scarce—first due to the 1701 ordinance limiting the weight of silver objects, but also because looting was widespread. Supplying such a quantity of silver to a master goldsmith indicates that only a high-ranking military officer or a very prominent dignitary could have afforded such a service. Moreover, the metal of the surtout has been tested and found to be melted silver from the 16th century, suggesting it came from older pieces, possibly from loot or spoils of war.

Such a commission would not have gone unnoticed, but the occupation severely disrupted administrative organization, particularly the control of silver and the application of hallmarks. This explains why six of the nineteen stands bear only Pacot’s hallmark. Additionally, the records do not reveal the commissioners.

Upon examining the Allied figures present during the Siege of Lille, one of the most compelling hypotheses for the commissioner of this surtout is John Churchill (1650–1722), the 1st Duke of Marlborough, who was responsible for the capture and occupation of Lille starting in 1708.

A member of the English high nobility, he had the taste, culture, and wealth to commission such a service, likely recognizing Pacot’s excellence—especially since he had previously commissioned pieces in England from Huguenot French goldsmiths exiled after the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685.

 Furthermore, he was acquainted with Pacot, having commissioned other pieces from him, including a large basin dated 1711–1712 (now at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, inv. M.5-2007) and candlesticks in the same Régence style as the surtout, recorded in the Duke’s archives, suggesting they may have been part of a matching set. Unfortunately, there is no mention of the surtout in those archives, nor is there any proven connection between Marlborough in the 18th century and the Gwydir family who sold it in 1829.

This surtout piece has been extensively discussed in Nicole Cartier’s work, Les orfèvres de Lille, Louvain, 2007. Of the nineteen pieces in this service, nine are in a significant private collection, including the very large centerpiece with triton feet. The other pieces are preserved in several private collections.