Jean E. Puiforcat

JEAN E. PUIFORCAT (France, 1897–1945).
Art Deco box, c. 1925–1930.
Silver-plated metal and lapis lazuli.
Measurements: 8 x 13.5 cm.
Circular box with a lid designed by Jean E. Puiforcat, crafted from silver-plated metal with geometric and refined lines. The stepped lid is topped by a characteristic spherical lapis lazuli knob—a combination of metal and semi-precious stone representative of the modernist style developed by Puiforcat during the Art Deco period.
Jean Puiforcat was a prominent Parisian goldsmith and the son of a renowned family of silversmiths. Self-taught in design, though trained in sculpture under Louis Lejeunem, Puiforcat began his independent work in 1922, developing his own style based on geometry, the golden ratio, and ornamental simplicity. His work, deeply influenced by the modernist spirit, combines structural rigor with understated luxury. A passionate collector of 18th-century silverware, he knew how to integrate tradition and the avant-garde into pieces of extraordinary technical and aesthetic quality. Today, his creations are part of major international museum collections, cementing his status as one of the key figures in 20th-century silversmithing.