Octagonal Silver Cocktail Shaker

A fabulous French shaker made using a nice heavy gauge of silver, circa 1930. Marked with the 800 purity stamp and maker's mark for Tétard Frères. The shaker is the classic three-piece design, with a base section, top and cap. The top contains an integral strainer.

Dimensions: 18.5 cm/7¼ inches (height) x 9 cm/3½ inches (diameter).

Edmond Tétard (1860-1901) took over the business of the renowned master silversmith Émile Hugo in 1880. He registered his maker's mark in August of that year, giving the workshop address as 4 Rue Béranger, north of the Marais in central Paris. He was a talented craftsman and his work soon came to the attention of both clients and his contemporaries.

After Edmond’s death in 1901, his sons George, Henri, and Jacques took over the business, changing its name to Tétard Frères. The firm’s style changed significantly from the early 1920s, when Valery Bizouard (1875-1945) became the principal designer of the company, creating new Art Deco patterns and models.

In 1930, Jean, Henri’s son, joined Bizouard at the direction of the company, which then gained immense success at the International Exhibition of 1931, winning 10 medals. Along with Christofle and Puiforcat, Tétard was a leader in French Art Deco silver. The firm specialised in tableware, reinventing it with modern and often geometrical designs and becoming an international icon in the period between the two wars.