Lot 81: A good Victorian silver-gilt desk paper weight by Jean-Valentin Morel, London 1850

A good Victorian silver-gilt desk paper weight
by Jean-Valentin Morel, London 1850The handle finely modelled with four hounds clambering to bring down a deer on a naturalistic ground, the polished slate rectangular base with silver-gilt mounts, length 11.8cm x 8.8cm.

Jean-Valentin Morel (1794-1860) was the son of a Parisian lapidary, and studied in the workshop of the gold box maker Adrien Vachette. He began business on his own account around 1830, later settling in Rue Neuve St Augustin in partnership with the French architect Henri Duponchel. After a lawsuit and the dissolution of the partnership, Morel was barred from working in the Department of the Seine, and moved his business to London. He registered his mark in 1849, and continued to produce the highest quality silver and jewellery. At the Great Exhibition of 1851, he was awarded a Council Medal.Despite the success, Morel struggled financially and returned to France in 1852, winning the Grand Medaille for goldwork and jewellery at the Paris International Exhibition of 1855.