Specialist
Highlights
Rectangular form with hinged cover framing a blue enamel guilloché ground centred with a diamond set cypher of Alexander I, flanked to each side with 3 old cut diamonds, the border with raised and engraved scrolling acanthus leaves, the base and sides with engine turned decoration with vertical acanthus leaves at each corner, the border on the base a frieze of palmettes.
Mark of Johann Wilhelm Keibel to the inside on the cover and base, circa 1814. 6x8.8x2 cm, 152g
The box chased with foliage and flowers in relief on a matte ground, the hinged cover set with a miniature of Tsar Alexander I of Russia (1777-1825) wearing a black coat with red and gold embroidered collar, a blue moiré sash and the breast star of the Imperial order of Saint Andrew, signed by Giovanni Domenico Bossi (1767-1853) and dated 1803, framed with a gold garland and 32 rose cut diamonds interspaced with 32 smaller rose-cut diamonds (approx. 28 carats), the cover set with 4 further diamonds, one at each corner (approx. 8.8 carats) and bordered with a royal blue champlevé enamel baguette. The rounded corners are flanked by rosettes in royal bleu and sky blue champlevé enamel and the underside reveals circular enamel banded motifs around a central rosette on the chased ground.
Maker's mark Otto Samuel Keibel, St. Petersburg, circa 1803, 9x7,5x1,5 cm, 253g, scratch inventory numbers 79 and 641, with fitted case cover in green silk velvet and gold embroderies.
Provenance: Descendant of Prince Antonio Comuto of Zantes, Greece
The Comuto family arrived on the Peloponnesian island of Zante towards the 1500s. They entered the Livre d'Or of Zante nobility in 1580 and in 1626, Dr Stamatello Comuto was elevated to the title of Count. By 1803, the title was held by Count Antonio Comuto, a highly educated man who studied Law, Philosophy, Literature at the Universtiy of Padua, receiving a Doctorate in Law in 1767. On his return to Zante he was named member of the Grand Council, Inspector of local schools and then appointed as Deputy of the Ionian Parliament, Senator, and President of the Senate.
The Ionian Islands of Greece, which had been under Venetian authority for centuries, were handed over the French in 1797 under the Treaty of Leoben and liberated by a Russo-Ottoman alliance as the 'Septinsular Republic' in 1800. On 7th December 1803, Count Antonio Comuto was appointed Prince of the Septinsular Republic by direct order of the Russian Emperor, Alexander I. Considered a Russian protectorate, the Emperor conveyed his congratulations by presenting him with this gold snuffbox. The object has been passed down through the generations to the present owner.
An exceptional Imperial Russian gold, enamel and diamond presentation box by Fabergé, workmaster Michael Perchin, Saint Petersburg, 1897, the openwork cover chased with two Romanov griffins over a red enamel ground, centred with a crowned, diamond cypher of Tsar Nicholas II on a white sun burst enamel diamond set oval, six further diamonds set in the shields and at each corner between a husk and bead border, 6.4x10.6x2.8 cm, 293g gros weight
Provenance: Presented by Tsar Nicholas II to Lieutenant-General Theodor Feldmann, Head of the Imperial Alexander Lyceum, 3 December 1897
Returned to the Imperial Cabinet by Lieutenant-General Feldmann, 16 December 1897
Presented by Tsar Nicholas II to Baron Maximilian von Lyncker, Marshall of the Household of the German Emperor, 15 November 1899
Discovered in the private safe of François Dupré upon his death in 1966
Thence by descent
Under the reign of Tsar Nicholas II, this magnificent box was purchased by the Imperial Cabinet from Fabergé to be used as a presentation box. As it was to be offered by the Tsar in recognition of service or as a gift, the standard ‘scratch’ numbers from Fabergé’s inventories were not applied. This box therefore was not sold through Fabergé’s shop so does not bear an invoice scratch number. Instead it was logged in the meticulous ledgers which the Imperial Cabinet kept, attributed a number and recorded along with information on the recipient.
According to the latest research by Dr Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm (1), between 1896 and the end of workmaster Michael Perchin’s tenure in 1903, only two Fabergé boxes with Nicholas II cypher are recorded with red enamel. On 25th April 1897, this red enamel box with “brilliants and rose” diamonds entered the ledger, numbered 49 at a cost of 1760 roubles. The size of the diamonds accounted for the considerably higher price compared to the other boxes purchased at half the cost.
Later that year on 3rd December, the box was presented to Lieutenant-General Theodor (Fedor Alexandrovich) Feldmann (1835-1902). As head of the Imperial Alexander Lyceum - the educational institution founded by Tsar Alexander I – Feldmann was charged with ensuring students received an education that prepared them for positions in Imperial service. Despite the prestige of being gifted such a box, it was also known as a way of providing indirect wealth to its recipient. Instead of cashing in one of the large diamonds, Feldmann returned the box in its entirety 13 days later. It is entered in the Cabinet ledger under number 66 with the description ‘red enamel brilliants’.
The box leaves the Imperial Cabinet ledger for a final time on 15 November 1899 when it is presented to Baron Maximilian Freiherr von Lyncker (1845-1923), Hofmarschall (House and Court Marshall of noble rank) for Kaiser Wilhelm II. A man portrayed in literary accounts as a rather toxic and forceful character, he reputedly exerted a certain influence over the Kaiser. Following the meeting on 8 November 1899 between the German and Russian Emperors at Potsdam near Berlin where Lyncker was present, Tsar Nicholas sent gifts to consolidate the eased relationship. As was usual, the Hofmarschall was also honoured for his position and role in the proceedings. The box left Russia for Germany and the von Lyncker family.
Nothing is known about the journey of the box during the war years until it is discovered in the safe of the Dupré family in 1966. François Louis Jules Dupré (1888-1966) was the grandson of Barbizon School painter, Jules Dupré. As an hotelier, he owned the George V hotel in Paris and was a successful business man. He collected art and bred racehorses, owning the stud Haras d’Ouilly which he bought in 1930. Upon his death, his wife Anna Stefanna Nagy Dupré cherished the box until her death in 1977. With no children, the box was received by her sister and in turn, in 2002, was inherited by the present owner.
Note (1): Dr. Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm – internationally renowned specialist and acclaimed author of “The Russian Imperial Award System, 1894-1917» ed. The Finnish Antiquarian Society, Helsinky, 2005
Service à thé et à café de voyage en vermeil, Russie XIXe s., au décor repoussé de fleurs et de volutes dans le style rocaille, chaque pièce ciselée du monogramme de marquis. Probablement vendu par Nicholls & Plinke, Magasin Anglais à St Saint-Pétersbourg dans un grand coffret gainé de cuir noir. Comprenant: Bouilloire, réchaud, support, 2 plateaux, panier à gâteaux, pinces, passoire, 12 cuillers et bol fournis par Carl Tegelsten datés 1843, avec la cafetière, la théière et le pot à lait par Robert Hennell II de Londres datés 1843, poinçon d'essayeur sur le tout de Dmitri Tvyersko. 12 cuillers en vermeil par Sazikov, 1872, total no. de pièces 35
Provenance:
Tsar Nicholas I of Russia, Gift exhibition room, Winter Palace, St Petersburg
Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, Mikhailovsky Palace, St Petersburg
Private Swiss Collection. This pair of vases has been in the same family since the 1960s.
Certificate from Anna Vladimirovna Ivanova, Curator of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Museum, The Hermitage, St Petersburg.
The certificate states: [...] we can confirm the authenticity of the two given vases. All technical and artistic processes applied in the creation of these vases, the quality of the porcelain and bronze, as well as the signatures of the Master artists, correspond exactly to articles produced by the Imperial Porcelain Factory in the 1840s.
Each year at Christmas time, a collection of potential gifts from various Imperial factories was displayed at the Winter Palace for the Emperor and Empress to view. According to the Curator of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Museum at the Hermitage, St Petersburg, the Russian State Archives show two vases of the second size Medici shape were ordered from the Imperial Porcelain Factory for display in Emperor Nicholas I’s cabinet for Christmas 1849. The entry reads as follows: “Vases of Medici form of second size with paintings of figures from Mieris done by masters Artemiev and Morozov decorated over a gold background – 2 » (RSHA f. 468, op.10, ed. hr. 613, l. 5).
This pair of vases depicts two paintings by Franz Jansz van Mieris the Elder (1635-1681). Ivan Morozov was the master painter charged with recreating “Lady at her Toilet”, 1660 and Ilya Artemiev « Oyster Eaters », 1659. These paintings originally entered the Hermitage collection in 1769 when Catherine II bought the rather large collection of Count Heinrich von Brühl, German statesman for the court of Saxony and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, a few years after his death.
In the summer of 1849, Emperor Nicholas I’s brother Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich Romanov passed away. His widow, Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna (1807-1873, born Princess Frederika Charlotte Maria of Württemburg) was a well-educated and respected lady and now lived alone at Mikhailovskiy Palace with their daughter Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna (1827-1894). It is most likely that the Emperor and his Empress wanted to convey their appreciation and affection for their sister-in-law that year, especially having suffered such a loss, by offering a gift of considerable value. The Imperial Porcelain Factory received an order from the Minister of the Imperial Court: “The Empress demands to know which gift has been created for Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, please send immediately some suitable creations for their Imperial Highnesses to choose from. 26 December 1849, General Count Volkonskiy.” (RSHA, f.468, op.10, ed.hr. 613, l.8)
Once the Christmas exhibition was over, the Imperial Porcelain Factory was charged with preparation for the delivery of items selected as gifts. From the collection displayed at the Winter Palace in 1849, the following instruction was given for distribution: « To their Imperial Highnesses Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna and Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna: vases of Medici form of the second size with paintings of figures and gold decoration – 2 » (RSHA f.468, op.10, ed.hr. 613, l.42). This pair of Imperial porcelain vases was delivered to the Mikhailovskiy Palace along with other gifts. At a later date, the vases left the Mikhailovskiy Palace not appearing in the palace’s cabinet inventories after 1894. With the marriage of Grand Duchess Ekaterina Mikhailovna to Duke Georg August of Mecklenberg-Strelitz in 1851, the vases were likely relocated to another residence.
We would like to thank Anna Vladimirovna Ivanova, Curator of the Russian Imperial Porcelain Museum for all archival information and authentication.
Provenance: Julija Mikhailovna Rogatkina-Ezhikova, wife of Dmitrij Mikhailovich Rogatkin-Ezhikov, Moscow;
- Count Bioglio, Rome (second husband of J. M. Rogatkina-Ezhikova), thereafter his second wife, America D. G., Rome to her successors.
Julija M. Rogatkina-Ezhikova was considered the most beautiful woman in Moscow. Wife of the important Muscovite fur trader Dmitri M. Rogatkin-Ezhikov, Julija was travelling in Italy when the Russian revolution broke out. She never returned to Russian and married her second husband, Count Bioglio in Rome. After the death of Julija, the count re-married America D.G. who bequeathed the locket to the current owner.
Provenance: Sotheby's Londres, New Bond Street, vente 2 juin 2015, lot 260
На обороте: печать «Ателье Зинаиды Серебряковой»; № 1307 чернилами
Происхождение: Коллекционер русского и грузинского искусства ХХ века.
Зинаида Серебрякова (1884-1967) родилась в имении семьи Бенуа недалеко от Харькова на Украине. У дочери Юджина Лансере, племянницы Александра Бенуа и внучки Николая Бенуа, проявился природный талант, и ей было суждено продолжить артистическую карьеру. На рубеже веков она училась в Италии и Франции и продолжала работать до революции и после, когда ее жизнь стала тяжелее. После смерти мужа она оказалась с четырьмя детьми и престарелой матерью, которых нужно было обеспечивать. Выбирая пастель и уголь вместо дорогих масел, она продолжала создавать произведения искусства, избегая футуристических и авангардных движений.
Два портрета и изображение женской фигуры были выполнены в то время, когда она полностью погрузилась в использование пастели в своих работах. Она передает настроение и намерения своих натурщиков так же точно, как и любая фотография. Естественная и расслабленная поза для сна в пастельных тонах обнаженной натуры позволяет ей изобразить невинную чувственность.
В 1947 году она приняла французское гражданство вместе с двумя младшими детьми. Вскоре после того, как прекратилась вынужденная разлука с двумя ее старшими детьми, которые остались в Советском Союзе и не могли присоединиться к ней.
Только к концу жизни Серебрякова получила признание Советского Союза, отправив работы из Франции для выставок в Москве, Ленинграде и Киеве.
Источник:
https://awarewomenartists.com/artiste/zinaida-serebriakova/
Zinaida Serebriakova (1884-1967), Nu allongé, pastel sur papier, 39,5x57 cm
On the reverse: Stamp of the Zinaïde Sérébriakova atelier; no. 1307 in ink
Provenance : A collector of 20th century Russian and Georgian Art
Zinaida Serebriakova (1884-1967) was born on the Benois family estate near Kharkiv, now in the Ukraine. Daughter of Eugene Lanceray, niece of Alexander Benois and granddaughter to Nicolas Benois, a natural talent emerged and she was encouraged to pursue an artistic career. At the turn of the century, she spent time studying in Italy and France and continued to work up until the revolution when her life took a turn for the worse. After the death of her husband, she found herself with four children and an aging mother to provide for. Choosing pastels and charcoals over expensive oils, she continued produce artwork whilst avoiding the futurist and avant-garde movements.
It was in 1947 that she took French citizenship with her two younger children. Not long after she was able to end the forced separation from her two older children back in the Soviet Union who had not been able to join her previously.
Towards the end of her life, Serebriakova received recognition from the Soviet Union, sending works from France to be exhibited in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev.
The two portraits and female figure here were executed at a time where she was fully immersed in using pastels to their full potential. She captures the mood and intent of her sitters as accurately as any photograph may have done. In her pastel of the nude, the natural and relaxed sleeping position allows her to portray an innocent sensuality.
Source:
https://awarewomenartists.com/artiste/zinaida-serebriakova/