eBay

Presented is a lovely set of 8 antique Samson of Paris armorial plates dating to circa 1917-1935. The plates have an ornate border in peach and red with rich gilt detailing, but the real focal point is the large armorial crest in the center of each plate. The crest is skillfully hand painted and exceptionally detailed, easily in the top three for Samson armorial crests that we have seen in over forty years of business. The escutcheon of the crest has a white bull between three anchors, with supporters of a lion and an eagle, both wreathed. The helmet of the crest is topped with another floral wreath and a triple masted ship. The shield is backed by the circlet and motto of the Order of the British Empire, whose badge is suspended beneath. The Latin motto is “familia coniuncta superat,” or “The family joined surpasses.” The Order of the British Empire was founded in 1917, which is why the start of the age range for this piece is so specific. The coat of arms is likely that of some member of the Order, but as it is a fairly recently formed Order, if they were awarded the arms at this time, they may be too recent to find records of easily. Please note, we have a stunning large size tureen with underplate with the same armorial crest, which you can find by searching our store for “Samson tureen.”

This set of plates is in great overall condition. The gilding and decoration are in great shape. One plate has a hairline most of the way across the center well, which is hard to notice but does cause the plate to ring poorly when tapped. The rest of the plates ring well, and there are no chips, no cracks, no breaks, and no repairs.

The plates are marked on the underside in gold for Samson, a Paris.

Each plate measures about 9 3/4 inches in diameter.

-jm