Thanks to the quality and the genius of his production, ARMAND-CALLIAT will be prize-winning at several World Fairs (1862, 1867, 1878, 1889 et 1900). We know that, in the Apostolic Palace in Rome, pieces offered to the Popes Pius IX and Leon XIII are still kept. ARMAND-CALLIAT created approximately 5000 pieces, all prestigious, which found their place in the greatest sanctuaries of France.

    The Museum of Sacred Art of Fourvière still put on display his most beautiful pieces, as well as a thousand of drawings from his workshop. From his meeting with Pierre BOSSAN (1814-1888), church architect, ideas man of the projects for the Fourvière Basilica, major pieces of the religious silversmith’s trade will spring.

    The destiny of the firm and its prestige depends on his association with his son, that he set up from 1891. With ARMAND-CALLIAT Joseph (1862-1939), he will find new prospects thanks to the use of ivory and translucent enamels. At that time, the metal is warped without electrical lathe, soldering or die, and among their creations, we can find niello enamels, champlevé and taille d’épargne enamels, or with gold or silver reserves (see Glossary).

    His son will study with Auguste MORISOT, in the Lyon Art School, and will be the fellow student of George DECOTE, the future Fourvière decorator. On the death of his father, Joseph ARMAND-CALLIAT will bring a new inspiration to the firm, which he will open to the Art Nouveau.

    He will manage the workshop till 1924, before selling the firm to Amédée CATELAND, weary and disconcerted by all the commercial constraints, that he did succeed in keeping away from his concern of a perfect manual execution. Here comes to an end the story of one of the greatest Lyon silversmith, who knew how to make his known on the Paris market.
   
    Amédée CATELAND (1879-1938), who was first architect before becoming silversmith, will barely modify the ARMAND-CALLIAT stamp, contenting himself with turning the fly into a bee, and keeping the initials AC. He will put the accent on the Art Deco style, offer a bigger place to enamel, and combine the silver with ivory and precious woods.

                       

                                           Ciborium by Amédée CATELAND

    It is not easy today to perceive the full ARMAND-CALLIAT production, since he did not publish any catalogue : his creations were photographed one after one, and put away in a filing cabinet, available for consultation on the spot. Three small volumes were however published on the occasion of the World Fairs of 1867, 1878 and 1889.

Placide POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND (1824-1889)    

    Like ARMAND-CALLIAT, this name results from an association. The silversmith’s father, Jean-Baptiste POUSSIELGUE, marries in 1823 one of the daughters of the Lyon printer, Mathieu Placide RUSAND. This one possessing a branch in Paris, Jean Baptiste opens there a bookshop, and then set himself up rue du Pot de Fer, next to the silversmith CHOISELAT-GALLIEN. In 1833, he founds an ecclesiastical and classical bookshop, including a religious silversmith’s trade counter, at the 39 rue d’Hautefeuille in a first time, and finally at the 30 rue St Sulpice.     
    
    His son, Placide POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND, hallmarks his stamp in 1847, and set himself up the next year at the Quai des Orfèvres. He will appear in the yearbooks as the silversmith CHOISELAT-GALLIEN’s (1754-1853) partner, because it seems that he made his training by him. Placide states that he is a bronze, gilding and silvering manufacturer and tradesman, for churches, settings and sacred vases. His inspiration sources are the FORTY album, silversmith’s trade engravings of the 18^th century. We can find in the archives neoclassical and baroque models ; he notably possess about fifty Victor GAY models, drawn between 1844 and 1877.

    While his brothers set themselves up as booksellers at the 15 rue Cassette (hence the fame of this street where many POUSSIELGUE developed their activities), Placide publishes architects projects (drawings of altars or candelabras…), and employs two professional drawers, among whom was Jules DUMONTET, specialist of the 13^th century and especially of the 15^th century, who will conceive about forty models. GAÏDA seems to succeed him, with about fifty models of  the 12^th and 13^th century style.    

    But POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND will owe his first successes to Arthur MARTIN (1802-1856), inspector of the Religious Arts and Edifices Commission, who is in fact a chasuble professional drawer (Arthur MARTIN had been published by Placide’s father, and Placide will publish in turn about thirty models).

    Thanks to MARTIN’s drawings, Placide produces the mass set of His Grace of DREUX-BREZE, one of the most beautiful example of neogothic style, so brilliantly executed that it will notably be admired in London in 1851. 

                                          

                                           Chalice by POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND Père

    But Placide POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND wins his definitive fame thanks to VIOLLET-LEDUC, with for example the Clermont-Ferrand altar, draw of 1854, one of their prestigious first collaborations. After this common realization, the firm activity explodes. To meet the resulting demand, POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND has to conceive an industrial making, in particularly a mould able to produce an imitation of cloister enamels.

    After 1870, he takes part in the World Fairs of Vienna (1873), Philadelphia (1876), Paris (1898) where he belongs to the Religious Silversmith’s Trade Organization Committee, and where he has at his disposal the biggest exposition area. He will reach the summits of fame at the Rome World Fair (1888) where he gets the Saint Grégoire Order, and then at The Paris Worl Fair (1889), year of his death.    

    His son, Maurice, known as POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND FILS, his partner since 1885, inherits the manufacture and a very rich catalogue containing 1065 liturgical objects, not counting the variants (OUDRY models, other models given by architects of the end of the 19^th century and the 20^th century…). His stamp is crossed out in 1933.

                                  

                                              Mass set by POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND Fils

    Then comes Jean-Marie POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND (1895-1967), who hallmarks his stamp in 1933. But he will have to cross out in 1963 (see Glossary), because of the closing of the firm, contemporary with the closing of the BIAIS firm (a few pieces on this website were realized by Honoré LE BALLEUR from the BIAIS firm).    

    The factory is then cleared of all the models, which are sent to the breakers in trucks, of the manufacturing and management documents, and of the manufacturing tools. A building is raised on the plot (located rue Pape Carpentier, next to the Rue Cassette). Nothing remains of this great manufacture but a thousand of drawings considered historic, acquired in 1971 by the Ancient Monument Research Centre.    

    In my opinion, since I had the opportunity to hold in my hands a few pieces of these famous silversmiths, and since I could admire their creations in various French museums, I can assure you of the exceptional quality of realisation of their work. Seeing their pictures does not bring the same emotion than touching them.    

    POUSSIELGUE-RUSAND was a great factory, where you could find pieces at any prices. Some were more simple and sober for a more reasonable price. But when you touch a special piece, you discover with stupefaction that the inside as well as the outside are incredibly beautiful and made with an impeccable quality : soldering, bolting, mounting, finishing… everything is subject to an extreme care. It is notably the case of the mass set of His Grace of DREUX-BREZE. 

    You find in his creations, a very mannered combination between the materials : set garnet cabochons, lapis lazuli balls carried by angels, aquamarines for a bluish brilliance… He also affixed on some of the pieces of his catalogue, the personal jewels of the customer who put in an order.    

    In ARMAND-CALLIAT, the style is extremely fine, but above all, you go into ecstasies over the work made on the metal and the quality and the precision of enamelling. Some pieces in silver match the silver colour, to the gold and pink gold gilding, with an astounding harmony. You can not immediately discern these shades, which give to the piece such a beauty. But if you approach, if you detail, you will see the work realized to create this overall impression.

    One in Paris, the other in Lyon…. Those two names are vibrant.

    Source : Dictionnaire des Arts liturgiques XIXème et XXème siècles, Les Editions de l'Amateur