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Antoine Louis Laveur – A French Pewter Craftsman

Antoine Louis Laveur was a French pewter craftsman who began his work in Paris around 1892. Initially a wine merchant, he transitioned into the production of pewter (tin) goods in his own workshop in 1892. Laveur specialized in medical pewterware and instruments, though he occasionally crafted liturgical objects. His medical and patient-care products brought him the greatest recognition.

He manufactured various items for hospitals and medical practice, such as special drinking vessels for bedridden patients (known as “biberon” or “canard de malade”, meaning “duck”), enema syringes (clysters), and obstetric basins for childbirth assistance, all made of pewter. It was on medical products like these that Laveur focused in the late 19th century. These items were marked with his maker’s initials (A.L. – Antoine Laveur).

One such example is a pewter feeding vessel (“biberon-duck”, 19th century) crafted by Laveur. This pump-style drinking vessel features a long spout and a removable lid, with Laveur’s “A.L.” hallmark on the base. Such feeding vessels were designed to help bedridden patients consume broth or liquid nutrition.

Laveur also produced sustenteurs—special containers for feeding weakened patients with broth, including rectal feeding. One known example is a pewter “pot à bouillon” (broth pot) from the early 20th century, called a sustenteur, marked “LAVEUR à PARIS”. This vessel was designed with a double lid (main and inner cover) and was used for nutritional enemas or feeding patients with broth. It measured approximately 12–13 cm in diameter and ~12.5 cm in height.

Although the company’s primary focus was medical supplies, Laveur occasionally produced liturgical items. One recorded example is a set of three pewter containers for holy oils, marked with his hallmark and dated to the late 19th–early 20th century. These cylindrical pewter vessels (chrism containers) with screw-top lids were part of a church anointing oil kit and are now preserved as part of the religious artifacts in a church in the Landes department (Mugron commune), France.

Laveur also crafted measuring vessels, including sets of standardized volume measures (ranging from 1 centiliter to 1 liter) according to the metric system (SI). These pewter measuring cups, bearing metric stamps and the producer’s hallmark “LAVEUR 1892,” occasionally appear on the antique market.

The Laveur Family Legacy

Antoine Laveur passed on his craft to his family. In 1881, his son Marcel Adrien Marie Laveur was born, and he later inherited the workshop. After Antoine’s death in 1913, Marcel took over the family business. He was known as a master pewter craftsman (potier d’étain) working at 26, rue Rambuteau, Paris and was awarded the rank of Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, also receiving the Croix de Guerre for his service in World War I.

Under Marcel’s leadership, A. Laveur continued producing traditional pewterware until the mid-20th century. However, the company also expanded into new fields: in the 1920s–1930s, under the Laveur brand, it produced not only utilitarian items but also decorative metal objects.

For example, a large Art Deco-style vase-pitcher (circa 1925–1935) made of hammered and polished aluminum, signed “Laveur”, is a well-documented piece. This oval planter with embossed floral ornamentation reflects how Laveur’s descendants adapted to new materials and the changing tastes of the Art Deco era.

Thus, the Laveur dynasty left a significant mark on the history of Parisian craftsmanship—from medical pewterware of the late 19th century to artistic metalwork of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods.