• Material: silver
• Country of origin: France
• Dinner fork: 20cm/7.8" (l); Dinner knife: 23cm/9" (l); Dinner spoon: 20cm/7.8" (l); Dessert fork: 17.5cm/6.8" (l); Dessert knife: 19.5cm/7.7" (l); Dessert spoon: 17.5cm/6.8" (l); Teaspoon: 15cm/5.9" (l)
• Cleaning: handwash only; specialist silver clean
• Colour: silver

Behind Puiforcat’s grand present belies a modest past; in 1820, brothers Émile and Joseph-Marie Puiforcat joined forces with their cousin, Jean-Baptiste Fuchs, to open a cutlery shop in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris. Fast forward to 1902 and Louis-Victor Tabouret – the husband of Laure Puiforcat – assumed the helm, taking it from humble storefront to high-flying silversmith. Under his influence, dining rooms shone with sterling silver, capturing the history and glory of art de la table a la française. During the 1920s, creative control passed through Jean Puiforcat’s hands – the visionary behind collections with an Art Deco persuasion – before Hermès’ acquisition in 1993. Sterling silver is of the highest grade, which craftspeople in the Pantin-based workshop hammer, planish, spin, chase and engrave to reach the final, museum-worthy results.