?These refined antique silver gilt wine coasters feature slender pierced galleries of a beautiful neoclassical style. Silver tableware pieces such as these coasters had more than just a utilitarian purpose; they were signs of wealth and status, and as such, reflected the latest styles. By the mid-1760s in France, there was a reaction against the excessiveness of the Rococo style. The renewed interest in classical art and archeology that occured after the excavations of Pompeii and Herculaneum had a profound effect on all aspects of French art. This influence is evident in these coasters, which display a great refinement and balance. The coasters' galleries reflect neoclassical architectural elements, while their decorative touches are seaml