- Persons : Six
- Maker : Louis Vuitton
- Date : 1918
Louis Vuitton 6 person fully fitted fold fronted combined (tea, drinks, sandwich and dinner service) motorists travelling picnic set. The very finest and earliest 1918 totally complete original example in the world.
Complete with outside canvas and leather edged foul weather cover, the most impressive extremely heavy black leather case adorned with all Vuitton brass studs, outside brass hinges, catches and locks, and with heavy black leather carrying handles, marked L. Vuitton. This amazing set opens to reveal a yellow Vuitton fabric interior, with the original factory label with 1 Rue Scribe, Paris, 149, New Bond Street Logo, plus factory number, plus makers logo address stamped on the lid interior in the right hand corner.
The case firstly opens to reveal a beautifully fitted top display compartment containing all Louis Vuitton marked silver plated kettle, burner, kettle stand, oil container, saucepan, strainer, four glass and nickel fitted condiment jars, three condiment bottles - the salt container with most interesting LV design entwined within the salt pourer, the spice condiment with interior glass stopper under nickel lid, plus six Limoges finest white porcelain cups, each cradled in its own silver plated Vuitton holder, with dual black and honey coloured wickerwork covered handles. Under these cups are two hidden storage compartments for serviettes etc. Also six large stacking silver plated with gilt interior drinks tumblers, plus six matching tot tumblers, plus four extremely fine glass food jars, each with silver plated lid. All pieces are beautifully laid out within a yellow leathercloth compartmented drawer with Chamois lined interior to lid of case. Under this initial top display layer are housed three further drawers that pull out with leather handles to reveal, in the top drawer, three fine sandwich boxes, with ceramic bases, and silver plated lids, a further food storage box, and two very heavy and fine glass drinking flasks, with silver plated caps. Below this drawer is yet another, containing a fantastic complete set of bone handled silver plated Vuitton serving cutlery and six dinner knives, ornate fish serving knife with bone handle, six forks, six spoons, serving sugar tongs, and large serving spoon, foldaway silver plated Vuitton bottle opener, ornate set of Vuitton nickel snips plus 6 nickel dessert plates and 6 nickel saucers etc, all housed within Chamois and yellow Vuitton leathercloth lined compartments. Yet another drawer is located below this, containing two silver plated heavy serving plates and set of six dinner plates. All pieces are complete and all marked with Louis Vuitton logos.
This amazing set was a special commission in September 1918, and has the Vuitton trade logo leather plaque inside the lid, and the original Vuitton number printed on the fine white interior cover, situated in the right hand corner. This number and date of sale has been verified by the Louis Vuitton museum in Paris. This outstanding set is the finest of its type available anywhere in the World, and even the Vuitton museum itself does not own an example of such a magnificent and unique picnic set. Simply the ULTIMATE stylish picnic set from the supreme master of his craft - Louis Vuitton.
