ASCAS Association of Small Collectors of Antique Silver
ASSOCIATION OF SMALL COLLECTORS OF ANTIQUE SILVER
ASCAS
  Français article # 188
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by Robert Massart 
(click on photos to enlarge image)

FAVIER FAMILY
THREE TOWNS AND 150 YEARS OF SILVERSMITHING

The name Favier has a long and charged history, starting approximately 1824 and ending in 1976. The Favier silversmiths were famous manufacturers of ecclesiastical silver works such as chalices, ciboria, monstrances, patens, cruets and plates. Their work can be seen in many cathedral treasuries. At least 179 works are inventoried and protected today in the name of historical monuments in the Ariège department.
Religious silversmithing was profoundly innovated by the Favier family by excerpting on medieval sources and later by joining movements of symbolism and Art Nouveau.
All four brothers were born at Meximieux, a municipality, 37 km north-east of Lyon, Ain department, region Rhône-Alpes:
Jean-Marie-François-Henri Favier (also named François) on 28 July 1800, André-Michel Favier on 29 September 1805, Pierre-Henry Favier on 11 July 1809 and Joseph Favier on 8 August 1811.
The Maison Favier in Lyon was established between 1824 and 1827 by two brothers François and André-Michel. Pierre-Henry, André and Joseph Favier (François died in 1827 in Lyon) were very close and worked together in Lyon from 1824 until Pierre-Henry moved to Paris in 1846, followed a few years later by Joseph (before 1851).
François had three sons, Philippe (gilder, b.1821-d.1864), Claude (silversmith, b.1824-d.1849) and Jean-Baptiste (silversmith, b.1824-d.1899). André-Michel and his nephews Claude and Jean-Baptiste managed the business Favier Frères in Lyon until 1860.
From 1860 until 1903 the name of the business became A. Favier Neveux. In 1903 Charles-Marie Favier (son of Jean-Baptiste) established the company Favier Charles & Cie and the activity of the company lasted until 1972. From 1941 on, Georges Favier, son of Charles Favier, managed the company. Finally, in 1972 the company became Manufacture d'Orfèvrerie et Bronzes d'Eglise, which ended its activity in 1976.
In 1848 Pierre-Henry took over the workshop of the silversmith Jean-Baptiste Garnier in Paris at 9 place Dauphine. The location of the business changed several times: 44 quai des Orfèvres, 44-46 quai des Orfèvres, 8 rue Saint-Christophe and finally 25 quai des Orfèvres. The maker's mark remained the same as that of Garnier, two cruets and four pellets, only the name changed to Favier. Pierre-Henry entered his mark on August 12, 1846 (n° de garantie 4742; n° de préfecture 4913).
In 1871 Louis-Marie Favier succeeded to his father Pierre-Henry Favier in his Paris company.
Around 1854 Joseph moved to Toulouse where he took over the workshop of Louis IV Samson; the latter being the heir of a Toulouse family who counted nine silversmiths in a period of two centuries.
From that moment on the Favier brothers were active in three towns Lyon (André-Michel Favier), Paris (Pierre-Henry Favier) and Toulouse (Joseph Favier).
In 1887 Joseph Favier died in Toulouse. It is known that the silversmith François-Etienne Favier, son of Jean-Baptiste Favier and grandson of Jean-Marie-François Favier, lived in Toulouse rue des Filatiers. It is possible that it was his intention to take over the business of his uncle.

MAKER'S MARKS

André Favier - Lyon André Favier - Lyon
Symbol: a sun between the letters A and F
entered after 1827, deleted around 1850
André Favier and successors - Lyon André Favier and successors - Lyon André Favier and successors - Lyon André Favier and successors - Lyon André Favier and successors - Lyon André Favier and successors - Lyon
Symbol: a sun between two letters F
Favier Frères (Jean-Baptiste and Claude) - Lyon Favier Frères (Jean-Baptiste and Claude) - Lyon
Symbol: a lozenge and two letters F
entered between 1850 and 1855, then 5 September1860, deleted 1976
Charles Favier & Cie - Lyon (Charles-Marie, Marie-Michel et Auguste) Charles Favier & Cie - Lyon (Charles-Marie, Marie-Michel and Auguste)
Symbol: two letters F back to back
entered 23 September 1927, deleted 1976
Pierre-Henry Favier - Paris Pierre-Henry Favier - Paris Pierre-Henry Favier - Paris
Symbol: Favier in full letters, a cruet between two pellets over and under the name
Louis Marie Favier - Paris Louis Marie Favier - Paris Louis Marie Favier - Paris
Symbol: Favier in full letters, a cruet between two pellets over and under the name
Joseph Favier - Toulouse Joseph Favier - Toulouse




Joseph Favier - Toulouse
Joseph Favier - Toulouse

Symbol: letter F, a sun over and a pellet under the letter


Symbol: Favier in full letters, a sun over and a pellet under the name
Louis IV Samson - Paris Louis IV Samson - Paris Louis IV Samson - Paris
Symbol: letter S, a sun over and a pellet under the letter
Louis III Samson - Paris Louis III Samson - Paris
Symbol: letter S in a monstrance
Jean-Baptiste Garnier - Paris Jean-Baptiste Garnier - Paris Jean-Baptiste Garnier - Paris
Symbol: Garnier in full letters, a cruet between two pellets over and under the name (mark entered 23 July 1839)


 
The Branches of Favier Family: diagram Jean-Baptiste Garnier: pair of cruets - 1839 Louis IV Samson: Ciborium  - 1819 - 1838 Pierre-Henry Favier: Ciborium - 1846 Favier Frères: Ciborium  -  1858
Branches of Favier Family
click to enlarge
Jean-Baptiste Garnier
Pair of cruets - 1839
Louis IV Samson
Ciborium - 1819 - 1838
Pierre-Henry Favier
Ciborium - 1846
Favier Frères
Ciborium - 1858
SOURCES
- Un point de généalogie sur deux orfèvres parisiens du XIXe siècle: les Favier orfèvres parisiens de grosserie, Claude Aliquot-2009
- L'orfèvrerie religieuse toulousaine au XIX siècle : Les SAMSON - Revue de Comminges - Tome CXVII, Claude Aliquot - juillet/septembre - 2001 - p. 397/418
- L'orfèvrerie religieuse toulousaine au XIX siècle: Les FAVIER - Revue de Comminges - Tome CXVIII, Claude Aliquot octobre/décembre - 2001 - p. 535/552
- Un atelier d'orfèvrerie lyonnais, la maison Favier, Bernard-Berthod, Gaël Favier - 2011
- Dictionnaire des poincons de fabricants d'ouvrages d'or et d'argent de Paris et de la Seine 1838 - 1875, Catherine Arminjon; James Beaupuis; Michèle Bilimoff - 1994
- http://patrimoine.rhonealpes.fr/recherche/global
- www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mistral/palissy_fr?
- www.culture.fr/collections/resultats?keywords=favier
- Annuaires de la ville de Lyon - 1827 & 1839
- Poinçons des fabricants d'ouvrages d'or et d'argent, Lyon 1798 - 1940, Maryannick Chalabi & Marie-Reine Jazé-Charvolin - 1993

Robert Massart
- 2014 -