{"product_id":"coupelle-champagne-mercier","title":"Mercier Champagne Coupe","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEnd of the 19th century – beginning of the 20th century (circa 1890-1910, Belle Époque \/ Art Nouveau period), most likely around 1900.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChange tray\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e (small tray for coins or tips) made of lithographed tin (printed metal), rectangular with rounded corners. The design depicts a waiter in formal attire presenting a glass of champagne to two elegant ladies seated at a table (with a bottle, fan, etc.), framed by vines and bunches of grapes, with the inscriptions \"CHAMPAGNE\" at the top and \"E. Mercier \u0026amp; Cie\" at the bottom. The style (ornamental lettering, elegant composition, floral motifs) is typically Art Nouveau. Almost identical examples appear in specialized auction catalogs for Mercier advertising memorabilia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChampagne Mercier (or Maison Mercier \/ E. Mercier \u0026amp; Cie) was founded in 1858 in Épernay by Eugène Mercier (1838-1904), then 20 years old. He wanted to democratize champagne (historically reserved for the elite) while maintaining high quality by bringing together various landowners.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEugène Mercier was a pioneer of modern communication and advertising: construction of 18 km of monumental cellars (starting in 1871), a giant barrel (equivalent to ~200,000 bottles) exhibited at the 1889 Paris World's Fair, the first advertising film made with the Lumière brothers (1900), a floating bar in a hot air balloon, and various promotional items (mirrors, matches, change trays, etc.). The company had a bottling branch in Luxembourg (1880s-early 20th century).\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAfter the founder's death, the company continued under the family, merged with Moët \u0026amp; Chandon in 1970, and later joined the LVMH group. It remains one of the best-selling champagne brands in France, with an accessible and festive positioning.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"L'échoppe de Thibaud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58706345296220,"sku":null,"price":199.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/9170\/1340\/files\/IMG-3460.heic?v=1787064437","url":"https:\/\/lechoppedethibaud.com\/en\/products\/coupelle-champagne-mercier","provider":"L'échoppe de Thibaud","version":"1.0","type":"link"}