Louvre unveils 100 masterpieces of French silverware from the 16th to 18th centuries

From June 26, 2026, to January 11, 2027, the Musée du Louvre presents a rare display of French silverware from the Michel Lacoste collection. About 100 pieces spanning the 16th to 18th centuries, with a later incursion into the 20th, are shown in the newly rearranged Room 605 of the Objets d’art department. The donation comprises roughly a quarter of Lacoste’s collection, balanced between Parisian (52 pieces) and regional production (48 pieces), highlighting centers such as Toulouse and Metz. Key works include a casket by Pierre Mangot (circa 1535–1536), a pair of candelabra attributed to Claude II Ballin (circa 1735–1736), and an oyster-shaped snuffbox by Bernard Bellavoine from Blois (1745–1746). The display is designed in close consultation with the collector and temporarily replaces some existing pieces. Michel Lacoste, son of tennis champion René Lacoste, began collecting in the 2000s after being inspired by a Puiforcat sale catalogue given by his grandmother; the sale was ultimately bought by Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos for the Louvre. The exhibition enriches the museum’s holdings in a field that was previously underrepresented.