L'orfèvrerie à Bergues

This book presents the history of the silversmiths of Bergues, whose beginnings date back to the Middle Ages. Richly illustrated, it shows the high quality of the pieces produced in the Bergues workshops and reveals the importance and uniqueness of the town as a centre for the production of civil and religious goldsmiths from the 15th to the 20th century.  

The book is the first reference work on the subject and, following on from the work on Lille, Douai and Arras, adds to the history of goldsmithing in northern France. It includes a directory of silversmiths and hallmarks, and an exhaustive list of their achievements. This new study is based on an in-depth examination of the goldsmiths' collection in the archives of the town of Bergues, as well as on the reappearance of unknown items that shed new light on this craft.