"Fabergé Revealed" @ Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg, 1912. Egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamonds. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond. Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt. Photo: Katherine Wetzel © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
RICHMOND, VA .- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts presents an exhibition of the exhibition of the largest collection of Fabergé in the United States. The exhibition, Fabergé Revealed, includes more than 500 objects and is on view from July 9 through October 2. The Russian jeweler Karl Fabergé crafted objects for the Russian imperial family in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including specially commissioned Easter eggs. VMFA’s collection, the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, includes five of the thirteen Russian imperial Easter eggs that are in the United States.
In addition to showcasing VMFA’s extensive Fabergé collection, the exhibition features loans from three important private collections. The collection of Matilda Geddings Gray of Louisiana has loaned its rare Napoleonic Egg and its celebrated Imperial Lilies of the Valley Basket. More than twenty noteworthy loans from the Arthur and Dorothy McFerrin Foundation Collection include the elegant Nobel Ice Egg and the spectacular Empress Josephine Tiara. Additionally, in a complementary exhibition of the Hodges Collection, more than 100 pieces come from the family collection of Virginia-born Daniel Hodges, including the historic Bismark Box and the monumental Coiled Serpent Paperweight.
Thanks to the generosity of Lillian Thomas Pratt and other donors, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts owns one of the finest Fabergé collections in existence. In parallel with the redesign of the permanent galleries, a major exhibtion presents the entire collection, contextualize it in a rare opportunity with important loans from other collections, and be accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue of the collection incorporating the latest scholarship and research. Fabergé Revealed — the title of both exhibition and catalogue – is a project that has been led by the greatest living scholar of Fabergé, Dr. Géza von Habsburg, who has curated numerous exhibitions on the topic worldwide and is the author of several catalogues and books. This dazzling exhibition will be a landmark in the appreciation of Fabergé, jeweler to the Tsars.
As well as the 400 plus objects in the VMFA collection, the exhibition includes almost 150 loan objects, drawn primarily from three significant US-based collections. The Hodges Family Collection has been assembled by Virginia-native Daniel Hodges within the last two decades, and demonstrates how the collecting of Fabergé remains active and vital in the current age. Highlights of the collection include the Imperial Bismark Box and the Coiling Serpent Paperweight. Under the title Collecting Fabergé Today, the Hodges' collection is presented as a fascinating story within the Fabergé Revealed exhibition.
The exhibition also features a number of extraordinary objects from two other collections. The first was assembled at the same time as the Pratt collection. Matilda Geddings Gray of New Orleans was an avid collector of Fabergé and her collection remains in the possession of a family foundation. Formerly on loan to the New Orleans Museum of Art, part of the collection is now displayed at the Cheekwood Museum and Gardens in Nashville, Tennessee. Two important loans from the collection are the extraordinary and delicate Lilies of the Valley Basket - the favorite possession of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna - and the Imperial Napoleonic Egg of 1912, both key works in the Fabergé oeuvre. From a private collection in Texas come some quite extraordinary Fabergé objects: a diamond encrusted tiara, the Tsarina’s pink enameled clock, a green enamel and gold Imperial presentation box and, most remarkably, the Nobel Ice Egg, white enamel Easter egg commissioned by Swedish industrialist Dr. Emanuel Nobel, who was instrumental in the creation of the Nobel Foundation and the Nobel prizes.
Coiling Serpent Paperweight, 1899-1908. Persian turquoise,sterling silver. The Hodges Family Collection.
Sujet en argent représentant un dogue assis au naturel. Russie 1908
Sujet en argent représentant un dogue assis au naturel. Russie 1908. photo Delorme & Collin du Bocage
les yeux sertis de cabochons de pierres rouges, le collier orné de 3 diamants facettés. 17. Poids brut: 224 g. Estimation : 5 000 - 7 000 €
Delorme & Collin du Bocage. Mercredi 03 août à 19h15. HOTEL MAJESTIC BARRIÈRE 10 La Croisette, 06407 Cannes - Salon Croisette et le Salon Dinard. EMail : info@parisencheres.com - Tél. : 01 58 18 39 05
Wilhelm Franzel, 1859. Buste en ivoire représentant le Tsar Nicolas Ier
Wilhelm Franzel, 1859. Buste en ivoire représentant le Tsar Nicolas Ier. photo Delorme & Collin du Bocage
Signé et daté MDCCCLIX Haut.: 41 cm - Estimation : 300 000 - 350 000 €
Wilhelm FRANZEL sculpteur né à Vienne en 1826. Ses principaux bustes sur ivoire sont au Kunsthistorisches Museum de Vienne dont le célèbre buste de François Joseph II, le buste de Metternich, celui du maréchal Radetsky et le nôtre cité dans le Benezit.
Le Tsar Nicolas Ier est né en 1796 au palais de Tsarkoïe Selo à Saint-Petersbourg. Troisième fils de Paul Ier, il succède à son frère, le Tsar Alexandre 1er qui combattit et mit en déroute Napoléon lors de la Campagne de Russie. En 1812 Napoléon franchit le Niemen avec ses troupes envahissant la Russie sans déclaration de guerre préalable. Le futur Tsar Nicolas Ier a 16 ans lors du Grand Incendie de Moscou, qui embrase toute la ville et prend au dépourvu la Grande Armée. Nicolas Ier lors de son règne se consacra à la défense de l'orthodoxie, de l'autocratie et de la «nationalité». Il réprima la révolution polonaise de 1830-31 et écrasa la révolution hongroise en 1849, ce qui lui valut le surnom de «gendarme de l'Europe». Il aurait voulu anéantir l'Empire Ottoman (1853), mais se heurta à la Grande-Bretagne et à la France, qui s'engagèrent contre la Russie lors de la Guerre de Crimée. En politique étrangère, l'empereur fut appelle «le gendarme de l'Europe». Il s'entendit avec l'Angleterre et la France pour une médiation conjointe entre les Turcs et les insurgés grecs. Il suspendit l'action de Mohamed Ali, Pacha d'Egypte, en signant avec la Sublime Porte le traité d'Uukiar-Shelessi 1835. Il obtint une partie de l'Arménie. Il meurt en pleine guerre de Crimée (1854-1856) en se heurtant à la France et à la Grande-Bretagne.
Delorme & Collin du Bocage. Mardi 02 août à 19h00. HOTEL MAJESTIC BARRIÈRE 10 La Croisette, 06407 Cannes - Salon Croisette et le Salon Dinard. EMail : info@parisencheres.com - Tél. : 01 58 18 39 05
Art Russe, St Petersbourg et Moscou @ ADJUG'ART
Rare plaque en porcelaine peinte de la Manufacture Impériale de St Petersbourg,sous le règne de Nicolas 1er (1825-1855). Photo ADJUG'ART
à décor dune scène dintérieur représentant une servante et sa maîtresse, signée en bas à gauche CEMENOV 1843, annotée au dos (con fidence) et marque de la Manufacture Impériale - 34 x 25,5 cm. Estimation : 12 000/15 000€
Rare pommeau de canne en jade orné d'une médaille en argent et argent doré. Russie, St Petersbourg, circa 1900. Photo ADJUG'ART
décorée en émail translucide du profil de Catherine II, la bague d'attache de forme cylindrique en argent doré et or, en émail blanc et rouge décorée de cannelures et d'un tor e souligné d'une frise de feuilles de lauriers, titre 56 zolotniques, poinçon de Karl FABERGE 1830-1920. Pds. brut. 184 g. Haut. 9,5 cm. Long. 9,5 cm. Estimation : 8 000/10 000€
Rare pendule en argent, Russie, St Petersbourg, fin XIXème-début XXème siècle, poinçon de Bolin (Orfèvre des Tsars). Photo ADJUG'ART
(nombreux poinçons), de style Louis XVI à décor de trois angelots dans des nuages découvrant une sphère soulignée d'une draperie et d 'une guirlande de fleurs, les chiffres du cadran dorés et les aiguilles en forme de serpent, reposant sur une base en marbre rouge à quatre pieds balustres cannelés. Pds. brut 2 036 g. Haut. 22 cm. Larg. 13 cm. Prof. 11 cm. Estimation : 8 000/12 000€
Gobelet couvert en argent et argent doré, Russie, Moscou, 1764. Photo ADJUG'ART
maître-orfèvre B.A. et poinçon d'essayeur, en forme d'ananas reposant sur un piédouche circulaire orné de cupules, le corps et le couvercle à décor d'écailles, la prise en forme de hach e. Pds. 206 g. Haut. 20 cm. Estimation : 1 800/2 500€
ADJUG'ART S.A.R.L - Me Yves COSQUERIC. MARDI 19 JUILLET à 14H15. 26, rue du Chateau - BP 41239 - 29200 Brest. Tél. : 02.98.46.21.50 - Fax : 02.98.46.21.55 - Email : adjugart@orange.fr
Created by senior Fabergé workmaster August Holmström circa 1900, the flexible bracelet is composed of twelve diamond-set sectio
Created by senior Fabergé workmaster August Holmström circa 1900, the flexible bracelet is composed of twelve diamond-set sections, mounted with brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo: Bonhams.
LONDON.- A stunning diamond Fabergé bracelet is one of the highlights of the Russian Sale, taking place at Bonhams on 8th June at New Bond Street. The bracelet is estimated to sell for £70,000 – 100,000.
Created by senior Fabergé workmaster August Holmström circa 1900, the flexible bracelet is composed of twelve diamond-set sections, mounted with brilliant-cut diamonds. It was bought by the renowned Nobel family, who founded the Nobel Peace Prize, directly from Wartski and has been in the family ever since.
A diamond-set gold and silver bracelet. Fabergé, workmaster August Holmström, St. Petersburg, circa 1900. Photo: Bonhams.
the flexible bracelet composed of twelve diamond-set sections, each openwork link mounted with two old brilliant-cut diamonds further enriched with entwined knots centred by single collet-mounted old brilliant-cut diamond, later security chain; contained within card box stamped "Bolin" to interior lid and inscribed to the underside 'Armband (Fabergé) tillhört Marta Nobel-leinikoff Gåuatill Görel Oleinikoff 11/12-71'; length: 17.1cm (6 1/2in). Estimate: £70,000 - 100,000, $ 110,000 - 160,000, € 79,000 - 110,000
PROVENANCE:: The Nobel Family
Purchased from Wartski
EXHIBITED: : Fabergé and the Russian Jewellers, Wartski, London, 2006, number 286
Other Fabergé works of art include a selection of clocks, frames, parasol handles and carved animals. A rare, shaded enamel and silver-gilt kovsh by the Fabergé workmaster Feodor Rückert is estimated to sell for £18,000 – 25,000 and a silver-gilt and shaded enamel salt throne with richly stylised floral motifs also by Rückert is estimated to sell for £30,000 – 40,000.
A shaded enamel and silver-gilt kovsh. Fabergé, workmaster Feodor Rückert, Moscow, 1908-1917. Photo: Bonhams.
with scratched inventory number 20244: the bulbous kovsh with high curving handle enriched with geometric and blue floral motifs against red band at rim and green and white ground below, the handle underside with engraved Cyrillic dedication inscription below crowned monogram 'To Sophia Hilarionovna Demidova from the Russian Colony, 1921-1931, Athens-Pireaus', 88 standard: height: 18cm (7in). Estimate: £18,000 - 25,000, $ 29,000 - 41,000, € 20,000 - 28,000
Note: Countess Sophia Hilarionovna Vorontsova-Dashkova married Count Elim Demidov, of the famously wealthy industrial family in 1893. He served as Imperial Russia's last Ambassador to Greece and both remained at the epicentre of White Russian life after the Revolution and up until their deaths in exile in Athens. In 1923, Count Demidov was instrumental in arranging the marriage of his nephew Prince Paul of Yugoslavia to Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark.
A silver-gilt and shaded enamel salt throne; Feodor Rückert, Moscow, 1908-1917. Photo: Bonhams.
the hinged throne richly enamelled with stylized floral motifs and characteristic wirework, with further Cyrillic mark G i Sh, 88 standard. height: 8cm (3in). Estimate: £30,000 - 40,000, $ 49,000 - 65,000, € 34,000 - 45,000
A superb selection of 19th and early 20th century paintings will also be offered in the sale. A painting entitled “View of the Kremlin from the Moskvoretsky Bridge” by Petr Petrovich Vereshchagin, who is considered one of the most prestigious Russian landscape painters, is estimated to sell for £200,000 – 300,000. A painting by Abram Efimovich Arkhipov circa 1910 entitled “Murom” is also estimated to sell for £200,000 – 300,000. Other artists represented in the sale include Konstantin Makovsky, Philip Maliavin, Ivan Aivazaovsky and Boris Grigoriev.
The Russian Sale will also offer works from the private collection of Louis Shapiro, an American patron of the arts and prolific collector of modern art from the early 1900s to his death in 1947. His collection was particularly orientated towards works by artists from Eastern and Central Europe, Russia and the Ukraine such as David Burliuk and Abraham Walkowitz, who are both represented.
Imperial Russian Table from the Winter Palace Sells for £916,000 @ Bonhams
Winter Palace Table est £150,000 - £200,000. Sold for: £916,000. Photo: Bonhams.
NEW BOND STREET.- A striking, circular table originally placed in the Golden Drawing Room in the Winter Palace, the main residence of the Russian Imperial family in St. Petersburg, has sold for £916,000 in the Russian Sale at Bonhams New Bond Street on December 1st. Reflecting the legendary opulence of the Russian Empire, the table encompassed an intricate design and range of materials, from coral to onyx and turquoise. Exceeding the pre-sale estimate of £150,000 – 200,000 by over four times, bidders were clearly keen to secure this important piece of history.
Commenting on the extraordinary success of the table, Yelena Harbick Director of Russian Art in Bonhams NY adds: "Having secured the magnificent table early on allowed ample time to thoroughly research the provenance in Russian archives and to establish its relevance within its Imperial context. We never doubted that a work of such historical importance would be well received by our clients."
An Imperial Russian gilt-bronze centre table, the marble top with a lapidary relief bouquet. photo Bonhams Imperial Lapidary Factory in Peterhof, design by Joseph August Satory (1803-1868), bronze mounts by Nichols and Plincke English Shop, 1842 PROVENANCE: Commissioned for Empress Alexandra Fedorovna (1842), presented to Grand Duchess Maria Aleksandrovna, future Empress Maria (1844) and became part of the furnishings of the Golden Drawing Room, Winter Palace, St. Petersburg
the circular top depicting a bouquet of flowers surrounded by a lapis lazuli Greek key border, the gilt-bronze surround with a frieze of cartouches, on a foliate stem and tri-form base mounted with swans, on a scrolling foliate frieze and acanthus cast feet; verso of the top stamped in Cyrillic 'Z.D. IX N 207' (inventory mark of the Winter Palace), paper labels: 'Zimnii Dvorets/Polov.Glavn./Komn/23 Zolot.Gost./N 227' and another: '4134/18'; height: 77cm (30in).; diameter: 72.5cm (28 1/2in). Sold for £916,000
Probably sold in late 1920s through Antikvariat
Private collection, Germany
This magnificent circular table is striking in its whimsical eclectic style, flawless execution and important Imperial provenance. One of only two known tables of its kind, it predates the similar table in the British Royal Collection by two years, making it one of the most important pieces of Russian furniture ever to come up at auction.
Executed at the famous Lapidary Factory at Peterhof founded in the XVIII century by the decree of Empress Elizabeth, the table reflects the enormous mineral riches of the Russian land and the fabled wealth and elegance of the Russian Imperial court. According to the documents discovered in the State Russian Historical Archives in St. Petersburg, the present table was completed at the factory in July 1842 as a gift to Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, wife of Nicholas I, but instead a month later was delivered to her daughter-in-law, Grand Duchess Maria, and was installed in her private apartments in the Winter Palace, the main residence of the Russian Imperial family in St. Petersburg (Rossiiskii Gosudarstvennyi Istoricheskii Arkhiv [RGIA] {Russian State Historical Archives}, fond 504, opis 1, delo 254, list 7, 12, 25, 28).
The remarkably intricate stone mosaic was made not in the typical pietra dura technique but as a low and medium relief and was protected with a glass panel secured by the bronze mounts. It features a splendid bouquet of tulips, delphiniums, rose buds, primulas, anemones, daffodils, dahlias, forget-me-nots, and morning glories realistically executed in agate, jasper, coral, onyx, turquoise and opal. Surrounding the central composition is a white Greek key border set against the deep blue lapis lazuli background. The total cost of the table is listed in the factory's documents as '5715 golden rubles', a remarkable amount reflecting the high quality of the work by experienced stonecutters and bronze makers (RGIA, fond 504, opis 1, delo 275, list 6). The same document revealed the name of the artist responsible for the magnificent floral composition: Joseph August Satory (1803-1868), an Austrian floral painter from Vienna was commissioned by the Peterhof Lapidary Factory to draw several compositions for the lapidary panels. Little is known about this artist beyond the fact that he maintained a lithographic workshop in Vienna and specialised in floral still lives. Not until recently was it discovered that in September 1839, Satory visited St. Petersburg and participated in several academic exhibitions as a 'floral painter'. His works caught the eye of the Russian Empress Alexandra and she acquired at least one painting showing lavish orchid arrangements, which was kept in the Ropsha Palace (Joseph August Satory, Bouquet of flowers in a vase, reproduced in Star of Renaissance, St. Petersburg, 2008, issue 8, page 82). The highly ornamented gilt-bronze table mounts were commissioned at the renowned Nichols and Plincke Company in St. Petersburg famous for its fashionable designs and meticulously executed bronzes. The legendary establishment had been in existence since 1789 under the name 'English Shop' owned by a succession of Englishmen. At the beginning of the 19th century, William Nichols and Constantine Plincke took over the company and turned it into a landmark establishment, producing bronzes, silver and jewellery according to the latest European fashions and employing the best craftsmen in the Russian capital. As a result, the workshop was able to produce the highest quality bronze and to secure a number of lucrative Imperial commissions. An invoice in the State Historical Archives reveals that the English Shop was paid 700 rubles for the bronze mounts for this table (RGIA, fond 504, opis 1, delo 275, list 13). Apparently unmarked, the bronze-work most likely was made at the workshop of Carl Johan Tegelstein (1798-1852), Finnish-born bronze workmaster, who worked under direct commission from Nichols and Plincke's company as well as directly with the architects responsible for remodelling Imperial Palaces in the Russian capital (Igor Sychov, Russkie Svetil'niki aepokhi klassitsizma, 1760-1830, St. Petersburg, 2003, page 197 and Igor Sychov, Russian Bronzes, Moscow, 2003, page 227).
Apparently the present table made such an impression on the members of the Russian Imperial family that two years later a very similar table was made at the factory to be presented to Queen Victoria from Emperor Nicholas I after his state visit to England in June of 1844. The table is now on view at the exhibition Victoria & Albert: Art and Love at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace in London (19 March 2010- 5 December 2010) [J. Marsden (ed.), Victoria & Albert, Art and Love, Royal Collection Publications, St. James's Palace, London, 2010, n. 165, p. 241, colour illustration]. With a remarkably similar lapidary panel featuring a splendid floral arrangement within a lapis lazuli and white marble border encapsulated in circular bronze mounts, it rests on an elaborate bronze pedestal marked with C. Tegelstein stamp. Delivered to Windsor palace in December 1844, the table was placed in the White Drawing Room and remained part of the Royal Collection and can be seen in the Joseph Nash (1809-1878) colour lithograph (the table is on the right near the window).
It is unclear why the table made for Empress Alexandra was redirected to the suite of rooms designated as the private apartments of Grand Duchess Maria, wife of Grand Duke Alexander Nikolaevich, the future Alexander II, nevertheless, on 12th August, 1844 with great precautions, the present table was delivered to the Golden Drawing Room of the Winter Palace. Reconstructed in 1838-1840 by the architect Alexander Briullov following the devastating fire of the Winter Palace in 1837, the Golden Drawing Room was splendidly decorated with lavish elegance and luxurious touches, such as this table, throughout. A watercolour by A. Kol'b shows the interior of the Golden Drawing Room in the 1860s after it was further remodelled by Andrei Schtakenshneider. It illustrates the gilded plasterwork, massive gilt-bronze chandeliers, and elaborate parquetry floors: the luxurious interior of the grand room used for private dinner parties and receptions, informal dancing parties for intimate circles of friends, and Christmas parties for the Imperial family (T. A. Petrova, Komnaty Imperatritsy Marii Aleksandrovny v Zimnem Dvortse, Gosudarstvennyi Ermitazh, St. Petersburg, 2007, pp. 45-56). Three small alcoves with elevated platforms near the windows facing the Admiralty building were created for intimate conversations and furnished with gilded chairs and three elegant tables, of which the present table is one.
Grand Duchess Maria Aleksandrovna adored the Golden Drawing room and retained it as her private reception room even after she became Russian Empress. In a letter to her brother she noted: 'the large Golden Drawing Room is reminiscent of the Throne Hall of the Bavarian Kings; on a sunny day it is magnificent'.
Today the Golden Drawing room in the Winter Palace houses the Hermitage museum collection of cameos and carved stones. Although the room has retained its original décor, few of its original furnishings survived the tumultuous years of the Revolution (two other Italian tables with pietra dura tops are now on view at the Pavilion Hall in the Small Hermitage). Research indicates that the present table, like many other original furnishings from the private rooms of the Imperial family, was sold in the 1920s through Antikvariat, a state-run commission shop that catered to foreigners and diplomats. The piece ultimately ended up in a private collection in Germany where it remained undiscovered and virtually unknown until today.
We would like to thank Adrienne Summers, floral designer, Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, Washington, DC for her help in identifying the flowers on the mosaic panel.
The table in the Royal Collection with very similar lapidary work also completed by the Imperial Lapidary Works at Peterhof can be viewed up until 5th December 2010 in the exhibition: Victoria & Albert: Art and Love at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace in London.
Further highlights included a riverside scene with a crane and barge by Robert Rafailovich Falk, painted by the artist during his time in France that sold for £120,000. A painting by Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky entitled, Sunset over the Golden Horn (Constantinople) from Pera was also one of the top ten lots, selling for £96,000. There was much interest in the room for a painting by Konstantin Ivanovich Gorbatov entitled, Harbour View and Sunset, which sold for £65,000 against the pre-sale estimate of £35,000-45,000. The works of art within the sale were also very successful, including a silver-gilt and enamel desk clock by one of the most important Fabergé Workmasters, Henrik Wigström. The clock sold for £108,000 against a pre-sale estimate of £45,000 – 55,000.
The icon section of the sale far exceeded pre-sale expectations. St Vladimir, “Equal to the Apostles” made in Moscow in 1896 sold for £36,000, over ten times its lower pre-estimate of £3,000. Christ Pancrator, made in St Petersburg in 1870, which had the makers mark of Pavel Ochinnikov with the Imperial Warrant, sold for £33,600 and The Mother of God of Smolensk, made in Moscow in 1891 sold for £30,000.
Commenting on the overall success of the sale, Department head Evgenia Teslyuk adds "We are extremely pleased with the results of the sale. It underscores that well priced quality objects from private collections and items of historical importance continue to captivate the market's attention. Working closely with our International offices, we benefitted from an influx of new buyers from Russia, America, Europe and Middle East.".
Unprecedented Discovery of Imperial Correspondence to Go on Sale at the Hotel des Ventes in Geneva
The collection of 45 lots has a total value of US $ 70’000-100’000
GENEVA.- Geneva based auctioneers Hôtel des Ventes will be selling a highly important and unique collection of extensive correspondence, photographs and drawings exchanged between H.I.H Grand Duke George Alexandrovich, H.I.H Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, H.I.H Grand Duke Mikhail Alexandrovich and H.I.H Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna and their private tutor Mr Ferdinand Thormeyer of Switzerland.
The collection of 45 lots has a total value of US $ 70’000-100’000
This exceptional collection, passed down through the same family and recently discovered in a dust-covered storage trunk, divulges many personal and intimate aspects of Imperial family life and their way of thinking. The letters provide an exclusive perspective from the last Tsars of the Imperial Russian Empire on the existing historical accounts of their childhood, journeys and life in exile.
Predominantly written in French, the affectionate tone of the 1000 letters provides a real and emotive account of the lives of Tsar Alexander III’s children during a turbulent period of Russia ’s history. The correspondence, dating from 1881 to 1959, portrays the well-preserved innocence of Xenia , Mikhail and Olga in the early letters of their childhood at Gatchina Palace and development into the mature comprehension of their official role and circumstance, relayed in an entirely personal and intimate manner. After the death of Alexander III, Ferdinand Thormeyer unexpectedly finds himself confidant to Mikhail and in particular, Olga, who writes to him regularly up until her comparatively impoverished death in 1960.
Lettre du Grand Duc Georges Alexandrovich de Russie (1871-1899).
datée du 12 novembre 1896 à Abbas Touman et adressée à M. Ferdinand Thormeyer, professeur de français et gouverneur des enfants du tsar de 1886 à 1899. Georges est fils d’Alexandre III et frère du tsar Nicolas II. Il souffre de la tuberculose et a été envoyé à Abbas Touman, dans le Caucase, loin de sa famille, dans l’espoir que le climat soit plus favorable à sa santé. Il y décédera pendant l’été 1899. Ferdinand Thormeyer se rend souvent auprès de lui. Dans cette lettre, George exprime sa tristesse et son sentiment d’être abandonné, avec pour unique compagnie ce «sale animal» de docteur: «...j’avais quelque fois peur qu’il ne m’injecte quelque chose d’autre que de la médecine». On joint 4 photographies de Georges, dont 1 avec son frère le tsar Nikolas II et 1 avec le Grand Duc Alexandre Mikhailovitch, la Grande Duchesse Anastasia Mikhailovna, le tsar Nikolas II et la Grande Duchesse Xenia Alexandrovitch. Estimation CHF 500-800.-
The collection of 250 photographs - often taken by Thormeyer, Olga, or Mikhail himself - document various occasions in the park at Gatchina, in the company of the Imperial family’s entourage and Russian Army Generals as well as the development of Mikhail’s military career. Other correspondence includes over 400 telegrams and some 150 postcards following the events and movements of the Imperial family as well as 12 Imperial luncheon menu cards.
20 photographies de la famille impériale d’Alexandre III et ses proches,
en dimensions variables, fin XIXe s., notamment: 1 photographie d’Alexandre III avec son fils préféré, Mikhail, pelles en main devant un mur de neige, circa 1890 1 photographie de la Reine Louise de Danemark 1 photographie de Georges Alexandrovitch et de son frère Nicholas II 1 photographie de la jeune Princesse Dagmar de Danemark avec inscription en cyrillique au verso 1 photographie d’un petit déjeuner entre Christian IX du Danemark, ses petites-filles Olga et Xenia, et Alexandre Mikhailovitch 2 photographies portraits de Mikhail en uniforme 1 petite photographie d’Olga avec 3 poupées et sa gouvernante Elizabeth Franklin 1 photographie de Mikhail et d’Olga avec entourage sur une montagne de neige. Estimation CHF 1000-1500.
Hiding in the trunk was a precious Imperial gift of a gold, silver and sapphire cigarette case from the then Tsarevich Nicolas and his brother Grand Duke George Alexandrovich bearing a signed personal thank you message.
Important étui à cigarette en or rose et argent russe à côtes. St-Pétersbourg circa 1890.
les deux métaux séparés en diagonal, presse-bouton en saphir bleu cabochon par Nicholls & Plincke, or 583 et argent 84 zolotniks, 9x6,5x1,5 cm Inscription dédicace gravée à l’intérieur "Nicolas et Georges à M. Thormeyer... Souvenir de trois bonnes années". Ecrin surmonté de la couronne impériale en or et or rose. Estimation: CHF 5000-8000.
Provenance: Famille de M. Ferdinand Thormeyer, précepteur des enfants de l’Empereur Alexandre III de Russie.
Accompanying this significant Romanov collection is a rare 1856 elephant folio commemorative Album of the Coronation of Alexander II, as well as a variety of Russian paintings, icons, silver, porcelain and works of art. This specialised Russian sale is part of Hôtel des Ventes’ Winter Fine Art & Antiques auction.
Alexandre II: Description du Sacre et du Couronnement de leurs Majestés Impériales l’Empereur Alexandre II et l’Impératrice Marie Alexandrovna, St-Pétersbourg Académie des Sciences, 1856.
Album eléphant-folio 92x68 cm, reliure de l’époque maroquin olive, emblème de l’aigle bicéphale impérial entouré de couronnes en cartouches doré sur le premier plat. Luxueuse publication, imprimée à petit nombre pour le compte du Tsar, distribuée, hors commerce, aux seules familles royales et princières. 18 chromo-lithographies enluminées à la main pour Lemercier d’après Zichy, Timm, Teichy, Sorieul, Blanchard, Bagantz et d’autres, titrées en russe et français: scènes des cérémonies, défilés officiels, vues de Moscou, réjouissances populaires avec d’innombrables personnages en costumes de fête ou d’apparat, etc. 32 illustrations de gravures avec le descriptif des évènements à l’encre brun rouge. Ouvrage rare. Complet. Bon état de conservation général. Dos détaché. Rousseurs sur certaines pages et illustrations. Estimtion: CHF 20000-30000
Provenance: Bibliothèque du Comte Georges Boutourline qui est le descendant direct du célèbre bibliophile, le Comte Dmitri Petrovitch Boutourline, alors Grand Chambellan, Sénateur et Conseiller secret du Tsar de Russie. Collectionneur de plus de 80’000 livres rares à Moscou, qui furent tous détruits par le grand incendie lors de l’invasion de Napoléon en 1812. Il décida alors de commencer une nouvelle collection en 1817 en Toscane qui devint l’une des plus importantes bibliothèques privées en Europe
Boîte à cigares en malachite. XIXe s.
surmontée d’une peinture en émail fête de danse du village probablement d’après Makovsky, cadre en argent russe 84 zolotniks et sous verre, intérieur en bois, presse-bouton à tête de femme en kokoshnik, 14,5x18x4,8 cm. Estimation CHF 10000-15000
Chope en vermeil russe niellé, circa. 1840.
de fleurs avec St Georges terrassant le dragon, anse en enroulement d'acanthes, couvercle avec prise à double-anneau, M.O. AK, Moscou 84 zolotniks, h. 19 cm 375g Estimation CHF 6000-8000
Provenance : Christie's Genève, le 3 décembre 1982, lot 157
Chope en vermeil russe niellé, fin XIXe s
de fleurs avec Pierre le Grand en cartouche, anse en volute, couvercle avec prise toupie, M.O. AA, Moscou 84 zolotniks, h. 20 cm 400g. Estimation CHF 6000-8000
Provenance : Christie's Genève, le 3 décembre 1982, lot 159
Statuette d'un ours et son dresseur
en argent, socle en cristal de roche, porte les poinçons de Fabergé, kokoshnik 84 Moscou, 18x18 cm. Estimation CHF 3000-5000
Statue d’un ours en argent dans le style de Fabergé
socle en malachite, 12x18 cm (manques). Estimation CHF 3000-5000
Porte-bouteille et petit plateau rond en argent russe, St-Pétersbourg 1880 et 1879
à décor imitant l’osier, col lisse et bord du plateau perlé, 84 zolotniks, h. 15 cm, diam. 19 cm, 695g. Estimation CHF 3000-5000
Gobelet en vermeil russe niellé, Moscou 1864
à motif de feuillage, M.O. PA,, 84 zolotniks, h. 8 cm, 110g. Estimation CHF 1000-1500
Charka en vermeil russe repoussé. Moscou 1761
à décor de volutes et de feuillage en forme de petites cartouches, M.O. VA, 84 zolotniks, h. 5,9 cm, 38g. Estimation CHF 500-800
One of Only 19 Fabergé Snuff-Boxes with Portrait of Emperor Nicholas II Offered by Christie's
The snuff-box was presented to the Turkish diplomat, Turkhan Pasha (1846-1927), in December 1913. Estimate: £400,000-600,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2010
LONDON.- Christie’s upcoming Russian Works of Art sale on 29 November 2010 will be led by an important jewelled vari-coloured gold and guilloché enamelled Imperial presentation snuff-box, marked Fabergé, with the workmaster’s mark of Henrik Wigström. It was presented to the Turkish diplomat, Turkhan Pasha (1846-1927), in December 1913 on behalf of Emperor Nicholas II probably to commemorate the end of his five year ambassadorship in St. Petersburg. In 1919 the snuff-box changed hands for the last time, when it was acquired by the family of the present owner. It will be offered with an estimate of £400,000-600,000.
The firm of Fabergé was awarded the title of Court Jeweller in 1884 and became one of the main suppliers to the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty. Only fifty-four presentation snuff-boxes set with a miniature of Nicholas II were ever presented by the Emperor. Of these, only nineteen were executed by Fabergé, making these boxes even rarer than the fifty known Imperial Easter eggs.
The present Imperial presentation snuff-box was purchased from Fabergé on 16 May 1909 at a cost of 2,500 roubles and was entered in the ledgers of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty. In 1911, a portrait miniature painted by Vasilii Zuev was set on the cover. The snuff-box was later presented on behalf of Emperor Nicholas II to Turkhan Pasha, Turkish ambassador in St Petersburg, on 12 December 1913.
Vasilii Zuev, born in Stavropol in 1870, graduated from St Petersburg’s Baron Stieglitz Central School of Applied Arts in 1895 and studied for one year at the Imperial Academy of Arts. He was a drawing master at the Imperial Alexandrovskii Lyceum and from 1904 worked for the Office of His Imperial Majesty painting miniatures on ivory. Zuev was recruited to work for the firm of Fabergé and painted miniatures for a number of Imperial presentation snuff-boxes and Imperial Easter eggs. The depictions of Nicholas II painted by court miniaturist Zuev were based on photographs or paintings and depicted the Emperor at various ages, in different regimental uniforms, in this particular case the Emperor is depicted in the uniform of the Preobrazhenskii Regiment. The rectangular form of the box itself - with cut corners, use of three-colour gold, sophisticated rich royal blue guilloché enamelling - exemplify Fabergé's revival of the Louis XVI style, and reflect the overwhelming influence of the eighteenth century French court on the Russian Imperial tradition of presenting gold snuff-boxes.
The recipient of this jewelled portrait snuff-box was Turkhan Pasha, a career diplomat and politician, who held posts throughout Europe and served as Prime Minister of Albania in 1914 and from 1918 to 1920. He became Chargé d’Affaires at the Turkish Embassy in St Petersburg in 1873 and returned to St Petersburg as Ambassador between 1908 and 1913.
In Russia, the practice of awarding jewelled snuff-boxes came into its own during the reigns of the Empresses Elizabeth and Catherine the Great, when snuff taking developed into an elaborate social ritual - l'art de priser - and gave rise to the new art form of luxurious snuff-boxes, for which there was a tremendous demand. This custom endured in Russia long after the fashion for snuff taking had passed. A jewelled presentation snuff-box was the most frequently awarded portrait gift during the reign of Nicholas II and was an Imperial award bestowed upon both deserving Russian nationals as well as foreign dignitaries. Nicholas II presented a total of fifty-four snuff-boxes with his miniature portrait, twenty of these to prominent Russians and thirty-four to foreign dignitaries.
The snuff-box was presented to the Turkish diplomat, Turkhan Pasha (1846-1927), in December 1913. Estimate: £400,000-600,000. Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2010
A Fabergé Diamond-Set Carved Bloodstone Parasol Handle, Workmaster Michael Perchin, St. Petersburg, circa 1890
A Fabergé Diamond-Set Carved Bloodstone Parasol Handle, Workmaster Michael Perchin, St. Petersburg, circa 1890. photo courtesy Sotheby's
the curved bloodstone handle carved with scrolling flowers, foliage, and rocaille, the end set with a single diamond, the collar set with a band of circular-cut diamonds; length 2 1/8 in. Estimate 8,000—12,000 USD. Lot Sold 11,250 USD
marked with workmaster's initials and 56 standard
PROVENANCE: Christie's, October 5, 1983, lot 441, illustrated p. 151.
Sotheby's. Important Russian Enamels and Fabergé from a New York Private Collection. 04 Nov 10 New York www.sothebys.com
Fabergé Diamond-Set Carved Emerald, Gold and Enamel Parasol Handle, Workmaster Henrik Wigström, St. Petersburg, circa 1910
Fabergé Diamond-Set Carved Emerald, Gold and Enamel Parasol Handle, Workmaster Henrik Wigström, St. Petersburg, circa 1910. photo courtesy Sotheby's
the carved and polished emerald with a collar of pale peach transparent enamel over a finely ridged guilloché ground mounted en cage within repeating arrows, the upper and middle bands set with diamonds, the lower band with two-color gold laurel leaves; height 2 1/2 in. (excluding screw) - Estimate 15,000—20,000 USD. Lot Sold 37,500 USD
marked with workmaster's initials and 56 standard, also with scratched inventory number 25445 or 85448
Sotheby's. Important Russian Enamels and Fabergé from a New York Private Collection. 04 Nov 10 New York www.sothebys.com
