French Silver “Dieu Protége La France” Tastevin Wine Taster

A classic French silver tastevin in traditional Burgundian form by the Parisian master silversmith Alexandre Vaguer. Due to its small size, the taster may have been intended to evaluate cognac, Armagnac, or calvados instead of wine. Unlike the usual decoration of “perles,” “godrons,” and “cupules,” this example has a smooth bottom that would be more useful with liquors. The sides are enhanced with repousse and engraved decoration of grape clusters and leaves typical of Burgundian wine tasters. The handle is in the traditional Burgundian form of two entwined snakes grasping an apple, thought to represent the Garden of Eden and the potential temptations of alcohol. Most interestingly of all, though, is that the entire tastevin was created from a single 5-franc coin, using only hammers and a few other hand tools to thin, spread, and shape the flat coin into a finished tastevin. Only a handful of masters were capable of raising a tastevin from a coin with the words “DIEU PROTEGE LA FRANCE” (“God protect France”), originally found around the outer edge of the coin, still visible along the top edge of the tastevin. The last silversmith proven to have mastered the skill stopped working in 1968. This example is stamped with the maker’s mark for Alexandre Vaguer, who began working in Paris in 1931 as part of the Atelier van Destel.

• Origin: France, ca 1935
• Condition: excellent
• Dimensions: 2-3/16” x 2-15/16” x 11/16”
• Weight: 29.2 grams