26.05.2026

French cast iron figure of a Gallic warrior, circa 1900

A striking French decorative figure of a warrior in scale armour and wolf-skin headdress, shown with sword and shield on a circular moulded base. Richly detailed and expressive in character. A comparatively unusual example in iron, as figures of this type are more often found in spelter or bronze.

Height: 50 cm.
France, circa 1900.

Starting price: 600€
Estimate: 800-1000€
Hammer Price: €

Émile Louis Picault (1833–1915)
“Le Sommelier” (The Wine Steward)
France, late 19th century
Patinated bronze, signed E. Picault
Height: 70 cm.

An exceptional and rare bronze sculpture by Émile Louis Picault, one of the most prolific and expressive French sculptors of the 19th century. Le Sommelier portrays a jovial wine steward, standing in a relaxed pose with a basket of bottles at his feet — a masterful celebration of craftsmanship, hospitality, and the human spirit.

Rendered with Picault’s characteristic attention to anatomical precision and expressive gesture, the figure combines naturalistic observation with a subtle sense of narrative humor. The folds of the clothing, the lively expression, and the casual stance capture the charm of everyday life, elevating a humble profession into an emblem of pride and artistry.

Émile Louis Picault, trained in Paris and active from 1863, achieved international acclaim for his allegorical, patriotic, and mythological subjects. Over the course of his long career, he produced more than 500 models, many of which were exhibited at the Paris Salon. His works are represented in several French museum collections, including Chambéry, Clermont-Ferrand, Maubeuge, and Troyes.”

Starting price: 5000€
Estimate: 6000-7000€
Hammer Price: €

Standing Robinson with Dog, France, circa 1900, Marcel Début (French, born 1865)
Burnished bronze
Signed MARCEL DEBUT
Height: 80 cm

A finely modeled bronze sculpture depicting a standing figure of Robinson, dressed in a short fur garment and holding a staff and axe, accompanied by a large dog beside him. The composition rests upon a naturalistic, rock-like base, showcasing Début’s remarkable skill in anatomical detail and texture. This work reflects the artist’s academic training and the late 19th-century French fascination with adventure and heroism.

Starting price: 3500€
Estimate: 4000-5000€
Hammer Price: €

Russian Ormolu and Malachite Pen Holder
. Russia, late 19th century.
Gilt bronze, malachite; cast, chased, engraved, polished. Dimensions: 20 x 16.
A striking desk pen holder conceived in the Neo-Russian taste, combining the warm lustre of gilt bronze with the richly banded surface of malachite. The upper holder is formed as a flaring conical vessel with a finely striated surface, raised on a truncated malachite pedestal mounted within bronze rims. Its architectonic silhouette is enlivened by applied mounts and zoomorphic finials, which lend the object a distinctly archaizing and ornamental character.
The design draws upon motifs associated with traditional Russian wooden architecture, particularly the carved decoration of window surrounds and nalichniki. The scrolling side ornaments and stylized animal-head mounts translate the vocabulary of vernacular woodcarving into metalwork, creating an effect at once monumental and decorative.

Starting price: 2000€
Estimate: 2500-3000€
Hammer Price: €

Russian Ormolu and Malachite Pastoral Scene inkstand. 
 St Petersburg, mid-19th century.
 Bronze, malachite; casting, chasing, gilding, carved and veneered malachite base. Dimensions: 15 x 17 cm.
A refined cabinet bronze depicting a pastoral genre scene with a young boy standing beside a fruiting tree, set upon an oval malachite plinth. The composition unites the narrative charm of small-scale sculpture with the decorative richness of Russian hardstone work: the warm surface of gilded bronze is set in striking contrast to the deep green malachite base.
Such combined works in gilt bronze and malachite became especially honoured in St Petersburg workshops in the mid-19th century. In the early years of the factory directed by Carl Woerfell, production focused largely on objects made in bronze and malachite, and it was quickly understood that sculptural groups mounted on stone bases possessed a greater appeal than plain bronze alone. Animalier and genre subjects, when enriched by malachite plinths or other ornamental stones, acquired a more luxurious and distinctly Russian character. The present model belongs to this important tradition of cabinet sculpture, in which bronze was consciously paired with precious ornamental materials to heighten both its artistic presence and commercial desirability.

Starting price: 2000€
Estimate: 2500-3000€
Hammer Price: €

Russian Ormolu and Malachite Model of a Muzhik and Boy Sledding
Paperweight
Russia, 1830s-1840s. Dimensions: 10 x 15 cm
Bronze, malachite; casting, chasing, gilding, malachite mosaic.
A finely modeled Russian paperweight in the form of a peasant and a boy seated on a small sled, arranged as a compact genre group upon a rectangular malachite base. The elderly muzhik, with pronounced beard and traditional cap, braces himself behind the child, who raises one hand to his hat in a lively, almost theatrical gesture.
Folk themes entered artistic bronze of St. Petersburg in the late 1840s, in the context of a broader democratization of Russian art and culture. Bronze figures of vendors, peddlers, coachmen, and other popular urban types began to appear, echoing the imagery of genre painting and literary sketches devoted to everyday life. A landmark moment came at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851, where two large Demidov compositions of dancing peasants and street figures on malachite bases introduced European audiences to the distinctive combination of Russian bronze, malachite, and national genre subjects. By the 1850s, some of these multi-figure models were also reproduced as small individual bronzes, often made for use as paperweights.

Starting price: 1000€
Estimate: 1500-2000€
Hammer Price: €

A Russian gilt bronze paperweight. Circassian with a Pipe

Second half of the 19th century
Dimensions: 8 × 24 × 7 cm

This finely cast gilt bronze paperweight represents a reclining Circassian figure, dressed in traditional attire, holding a rifle and a pipe. Objects of this kind were popular decorative desk accessories in 19th-century Russia, reflecting both interest in the Caucasus region and the era’s fascination with exotic and ethnographic themes.

Starting price: 250€
Estimate: 300-450€
Hammer Price: €

Desk Pen Stand in the Shape of a Horseshoe
Russian bronze, 19th century
Dimensions: 2.9 × 14 × 13.5 cm

This bronze desk accessory is designed in the form of a horseshoe, a traditional symbol of good luck. Small finials placed along the rim were intended to hold pens. Such objects combined practicality with decorative symbolism and were popular in Russian interiors of the 19th century.

Starting price: 80€
Estimate: 100-150€
Hammer Price: €

A miniature bronze sculpture depicting a wild boar, set on a stone base. The overall dimensions, including the stand, measure 15 x 10 cm.

Starting price: 100€
Estimate: 150-200€
Hammer Price: €

Dancing Peasant
Russian bronze composition
Mid-19th century
Height: 13 cm

This small bronze figure depicts a peasant caught mid-step in a lively dance, his posture animated and expressive. Works of this type reflected the 19th-century fascination with scenes from folk life, capturing the vitality and humor of rural traditions in miniature sculptural form.

Starting price: 500€
Estimate: 600-800€
Hammer Price: €

Bust of Emperor Alexander I
Russian Empire, St. Petersburg, 1827
Author: Fedor Ivanovich Kovshenkov (1785–1850)
Bronze, casting, patination
Dimensions: 19.5 x 8.5 x 8.5 cm.

This finely executed bust of Emperor Alexander I was created by Fedor Kovshenkov, a master bronzeworker who had once been a serf. In 1822, the Emperor himself recognized Kovshenkov’s talent and freed him from serfdom, appointing him as a bronze master during the construction of the Kazan Cathedral.

In 1826, as an expression of gratitude, Kovshenkov produced his first bust of Alexander I, and he returned to this theme multiple times throughout his career. Several examples in bronze and cast iron are preserved today in the State Russian Museum, alongside his busts of Emperor Nicholas I and Grand Duke Mikhail Pavlovich. A comparable piece is held in the State Literary-Memorial and Natural Museum-Reserve of Alexander Pushkin “Boldino” in the Nizhny Novgorod region.

Fedor Ivanovich Kovshenkov (1785–1850)
Originally a serf, Kovshenkov’s exceptional skill in bronze chasing brought him to the attention of Emperor Alexander I, who liberated him. He went on to create portrait busts of members of the imperial family and other distinguished figures, establishing his reputation within the St. Petersburg artistic milieu of the first half of the 19th century.

Starting price: 2000€
Estimate: 2500-3000€
Hammer Price: €

Cossack on Horseback
Russia (Danzig [Gdańsk], then part of the Russian Empire), late 19th century
Wood, metal
Dimensions: 21.5 x 16 x 7 cm
Inscribed: “А. Ханыковъ. Данцигъ”

A finely carved wooden composition depicting a Cossack horseman, holding a lance and seated on a spirited mount. The sculpture bears a dedication to Alexander Vladimirovich Khanykov (1825–1853) — a noted Russian revolutionary and member of the Petrashevsky Circle, an intellectual and reformist movement in mid-19th century St. Petersburg.

Khanykov, a volunteer student at the St. Petersburg University, was an active participant in the philosophical and political circles of Mikhail Petrashevsky and Nikolai Kashkin. A passionate advocate of Charles Fourier’s socialist ideas, Khanykov delivered a public speech in memory of Fourier on April 7, 1849. That same year, he was arrested in connection with the Petrashevsky case, sentenced to death (later commuted to exile as a private in the Orenburg line battalions).

In exile, Khanykov initiated a secret Russo–Polish–Ukrainian circle, which likely included the poet Taras Shevchenko, also serving in Orenburg. Members of the group held political discussions, wrote satirical pamphlets against the imperial government, and circulated banned literature on economics, geography, and history. Khanykov also compiled a clandestine manuscript on world history praising popular sovereignty and the ideals of the French Revolution of 1789 and 1848, expressing sympathy for Christian socialism.

This wooden sculpture — created in Danzig (now Gdańsk) — appears to be a commemorative or symbolic representation of Khanykov’s revolutionary courage and his association with the frontier and Cossack imagery.

Starting price: 400€
Estimate: 500-600€
Hammer Price: €

Farewell of a Cossack and a Cossack Woman
Ural, Kasli Iron Foundry, after a model by Evgeny Lanceray (1848–1886)
Cast iron, casting, painting
Dated 1901 (Tsarist period)
Height: 21.5 cm; base length: 18 cm

This sculptural composition depicts a poignant farewell scene: a Cossack, seated on horseback with a rifle in a case slung over his back, embraces his wife who rises toward his stirrup. The subject reflects the traditional role of the Cossacks, a privileged military estate in the Russian Empire from the 18th to early 20th centuries, who served as a stronghold of autocracy and were often mobilized in wartime.

The model was created by Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray in 1878, inspired by his impressions of the Don Cossack Host. The Kasli Iron Foundry, one of Russia’s most renowned centers of artistic iron casting, reproduced this piece in the early 20th century, as evidenced by the factory marks preserved on the underside and base.

Evgeny Alexandrovich Lanceray (1848–1886)
A Russian sculptor and animalier, Lanceray was an honorary member of the Imperial Academy of Arts and a master of small-scale narrative sculpture. His works, often centered on historical, ethnographic, folkloric, and everyday themes, brought international recognition to Russian sculpture. He participated in numerous World’s Fairs and created not only bronze figures and groups but also decorative and applied art objects. His compositions were cast at all the leading foundries of his time, including Chopin, Shtange, Moran, Berto, and the Ural iron foundries.

Starting price: 500€
Estimate: 700-800€
Hammer Price: €

Alfred Caravanniez (1855–1917)
“Bayard”
France, late 19th century
Patinated bronze, cast by Barbedienne Foundry
Signed and stamped.
Height: 42 cm

This finely cast bronze depicts Pierre Terrail, seigneur de Bayard (1473–1524) — the legendary French knight celebrated as “le chevalier sans peur et sans reproche” (“the knight without fear and beyond reproach”). The sculpture presents Bayard in full Renaissance armor, standing proudly with folded arms and sword at his side, embodying ideals of honor, loyalty, and martial virtue.

Created by Alfred Caravanniez, a French sculptor trained under Aimé Millet at the École des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, the work exemplifies the historical realism and patriotic romanticism characteristic of late 19th-century French bronze statuary. Cast by the renowned Barbedienne Foundry, it reflects the superior quality and finish that made the firm one of the most respected bronze ateliers of its time.

Caravanniez’s public works include monuments and statues in Saint-Malo, Nantes, Cholet, and Sainte-Anne-d’Auray, most notably the monumental statue of corsair Robert Surcouf (1903) in Saint-Malo, also executed in bronze by Barbedienne.

Starting price: 4000€
Estimate: 5000-6000€
Hammer Price: €

Juan Clara Ayats. Girl in a High Chair
Spain, first half of the 20th century.
Bronze, cast, chased and patinated. Height: 22 cm.
Signed Juan Clara and numbered on the reverse of the chair.
A finely observed cabinet bronze of striking anecdotal charm, this sculpture captures a small child at the instant when passive repose turns into restless movement.
The sculptor treats the figure with notable sensitivity: the tousled hair, rounded cheeks, soft limbs, and loose folds of the dress are rendered with a vivid naturalism that stops short of sentimentality.
This work accords closely with the established oeuvre of Juan Clara Ayats, a Spanish sculptor generally listed as active between 1875 and 1958 and particularly associated with patinated bronze figures of children. Born in Villafranca del Panadés, Clara’s artistic journey began at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos in Valencia. He later moved to Paris, where he flourished as an artist, gaining recognition for his innovative and emotive sculptures. Clara’s works often explored human emotions and the female form, showcasing a blend of classical and modern influences. His notable pieces include “La Bacante” and “Eve,” reflecting a mastery of expressive details and refined craftsmanship. Juan Clara’s legacy endures through his impact on Spanish sculpture, leaving a lasting

Starting price: 250€
Estimate: 400-500€
Hammer Price: €

Émile Louis Picault (1833-1915)
Saint George
France, late 19th-early 20th century
Patinated bronze, cast and chased.
Signed E. PICAULT. on the base; titled SAINT GEORGE’S on the front cartouche. Height: 59 cm
A finely cast figure of Saint George shown standing in armor over the slain dragon. Conceived as a victorious knight rather than in the more usual equestrian mode, the saint is rendered with Picault’s characteristic taste for historical theatricality and elegant surface detail. The composition contrasts the calm, self-possessed stance of the hero with the twisting, animated form of the beast beneath his feet, creating a compact yet dramatic silhouette. The carefully articulated cuirass, chain mail, sword belt, and greaves reflect the sculptor’s refined academic manner and his interest in heroic and historicizing subjects. Mounted on an architectural stepped base, the present work is a characteristic example of Picault’s highly successful cabinet sculpture, produced for the late nineteenth-century collector’s market.
Émile Louis Picault was among the most prolific French sculptors of the late nineteenth century, best known for allegorical, patriotic, mythological, and martial subjects. Exhibiting at the Paris Salon from 1863, he achieved wide popularity for cabinet bronzes combining narrative clarity, decorative appeal, and strong sculptural finish.

Starting price: 1000€
Estimate: 1200-1500€
Hammer Price: €

An impressive Fabergé silver-gilt cigar box with double hinged lid, Moscow, 1908–1917. The rectangular form set on four bun feet, the sides and covers richly decorated with neoclassical borders, rosettes, and medallions in relief, and fitted with a central handle. Scratched inventory number 210?.

Dimensions: 22 × 15.2 × 11.3 cm.
Weight: 1547 g.

Cigar accessories by Fabergé are extremely rare and highly sought after on the art market, prized both for their craftsmanship and for their scarcity among the firm’s surviving works. One comparable example is a Fabergé silver and en plein enamel cigar box, Moscow, circa 1911, which appeared in a Sotheby’s auction. https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2020/russian-works-of-art-faberge-and-icons/a-rare-faberge-silver-and-en-plein-enamel-cigar

Starting price: 20000€
Estimate: 25000-35000€
Hammer Price: €

An intersting Russian silver-gilt cigar box.
Konstantin Skvortsov, Moscow, 1887-1908
Rectangular, with hinged lid, the interior gilt, the lid chased with a figural scene of a blacksmith’s forge with a mounted warrior, horse, dog, rustic structures, and a Cyrillic proverb below: “I forge human destiny: the blacksmith decides who is to marry whom”, further engraved at right 19/XI/10.
Marked: maker’s mark K. Skvortsov and Moscow assay marks.
Size: 15.5 × 11 × 5.1 cm
Weight: 480.5 g.
A rare example of late Imperial Russian silver cigar accessory, notable for its quality narrative relief and richly gilded interior.

Starting price: 5000€
Estimate: 6000-7000€
Hammer Price: €

“FABERGÉ. SILVER-GILT AND GUILLOCHÉ ENAMEL MATCH HOLDER IN ORIGINAL CASE Moscow branch of the Fabergé firm, 1899-1908.
Silver-gilt, guilloché enamel, cast and applied relief; original fitted wooden case. Weight: 98 g. Dimensions: 2.2 x 7.9 x 3.7 cm.
Marks: Faberge with Imperial Warrant, Moscow assay mark, 84 zolotnik standart.
Description
A refined silver-gilt match holder of rectangular form, the hinged lid inset with a vivid blue guilloché enamel ground over which is applied an elegant Art Nouveau relief composition. The ornament takes the form of a female mask with long, fluid hair dissolving into whiplash curves and sinuous tendrils, the whole conceived in the highly expressive linear idiom of the modern style.
One side of the case is fitted with a ribbed striker, confirming the object’s practical function while preserving the precious, jewel-like character typical of Fabergé’s smaller luxury articles. The interior is fully gilt.
This match holder is an eloquent example of the Moscow branch’s response to the aesthetics of Art Nouveau.
The Moscow branch of Fabergé, established by Carl Fabergé with the active participation of the British subject Allan Bowe, developed a distinctive profile within the firm’s wider production. The shop on Kuznetsky Most, in the Merchants’ Society building, operated in the spirit of a metropolitan showcase: Moscow demanded spectacle and strong display effect. A phototype illustration from the 1893 price list records the interior as a demonstration hall, with carpets, velvet banquettes, columns, wall cases displaying silver and mounted crystal, and low table-vitrines filled with jewels in fitted cases.
It was here that the Art Nouveau line, associated with the principle of the very latest fashions, found especially vivid expression. Art Nouveau manifested itself in flowing contours, asymmetry, graphic rhythm, and the treatment of silver surfaces, as well as in motifs of the circle, the wave, and the vegetal scroll. This language found its most organic expression in small-scale objets d’art.
The assortiment responded closely to current taste: objects that had lost their novelty were gathered up and melted down annually, reinforcing the shop’s image as a place of constant renewal. The production base was the Moscow factory in the San Galli house in Bolshoi Kiselny Lane, employing about 300 workers, where silver production was particularly strong”

Starting price: 4000€
Estimate: 5000-7000€
Hammer Price: €

Silver and En Plein Enamel Ashtray
Russia (import marks), late 19th century
Silver (84 zolotniks), en plein enamel
Weight: 161.6 g | Dimensions: 12.8 × 12.8 × 3.3 cm

A finely crafted Russian silver ashtray featuring a beautifully executed en plein enamel panel depicting a lively medieval genre scene — a gallant courtier and a young woman engaged in playful conversation at a tavern doorway. The composition, rich in color and theatrical detail, reflects the popular fascination with romanticized historical subjects at the close of the 19th century.

Starting price: 750€
Estimate: 800-1000€
Hammer Price: €