Lot 0039
Russian Art-Noveau Style Silver Cigar Box
Estimate: 4000-5000€
Silver Cigar Box
Maker: Nikolay Zverev, Moscow, 1908–1917
Silver (84 zolotniks), repoussé and chased decoration
Weight: 578 g | Dimensions: 5.3 × 17.5 × 12.3 cm
A refined Russian Art Nouveau silver cigar box by Nikolay Zverev, master silversmith active in Moscow between 1898 and 1912. The lid is richly ornamented with asymmetrical floral scrolls and stylized thistle leaves, characteristic of early 20th-century Moscow silverwork. The soft organic curves and detailed repoussé modeling reflect the transition from late Imperial eclecticism to the sinuous elegance of the Modern style.
Nikolay Zverev was among the noted Moscow silversmiths of his time, known for his finely crafted silver and enamel objects — including belts, kovshi, napkin rings, and tea glass holders. His works are represented today in the State Historical Museum, Moscow.
Starting price: 3500€
Estimate: 4000-5000€
Hammer Price: 3500€
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Lot 0038
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Estimate: 15000-18000€Fabergé. Card and Chalk Box in the Form of a Skittle Alley
Makers mark of “AR” and Faberge. Petersburg, 1899–1904
Wood, white material, silver (88 zolotnik), leather, parquetry
Dimensions: 29.5 x 12 x 14.5 cm.The box, designed as a miniature skittle alley, was created in the workshop of Anna Karlovna Ringe, one of Fabergé’s few female workmasters. The composition combines fine woodworking with white material and silver details. The small skittles and ball, carved from white material, rest on a polished wooden surface with parquetry inlay.
An engraved dedication on the central silver plaque reads:
“To our dear Captain! / K.K. Bakh, R.L. Binenstamm, A.N. Gavrilov, M.N. Kaigorodov, A.F. Karell, E.V. Rudolphi, A.A. Tylov / March 8th, 1900.”
The side plaques bear humorous gaming mottos in Russian.The box was presented as a gift to the captain of the “Closed” skittle club of the St. Petersburg English Assembly. Among the donors was Mikhail Nikiforovich Kaigorodov (1853–1918), General of Infantry, former Irkutsk Governor (1905–1906) and commandant of the Grodno Fortress (1915–1916).
The English Assembly, founded in 1770, was the first private club in Russia. Originally created by foreigners residing in St. Petersburg, it soon became one of the most prestigious social institutions of the Empire. Renowned for its English cuisine and card games, the club attracted Russia’s political and cultural elite — the Yusupovs, Golitsyns, Obolenskys, Dolgorukys, and later wealthy merchants and industrialists.
Anna Karlovna Ringe (1840–1912) succeeded her husband, the Livonian silversmith Philip Theodor Ringe (1824–1894), who had collaborated with Fabergé under the mark “T.R.”. After his death, Anna continued the workshop on Malaya Morskaya Street, producing fine enameled and silver items — seals, umbrella handles, thermometers, buckles, and miniature boxes. Her mark “A.R.” became one of the most distinctive within the Fabergé circle. After her death in 1912, the workshop passed to Anders Mickelson and Vasily Solovyov..
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Lot 0040
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Estimate: 4000-5000€
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Dimensions: 13.5 × 8.6 × 5.3 cm.
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Lot 0041
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Vasiliy Egorovich Rukavishnikov was a master silversmith and niello craftsman active in Moscow in the 1890s and after 1908. His production was known for finely executed silverwork, and his pieces were periodically sold through the shop of Sh.M. Belenky, one of the most prominent jewelry and silver retailers of the time.Starting price: 3500€
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Lot 0037
Russian Silver-Gilt Cigar Box “Boyar” by Bragin Manufactory
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Andrei Stepanovich Bragin (1852–1908) was one of the most respected and skilled silversmiths in St. Petersburg at the turn of the century. He completed his apprenticeship in 1852 and opened his own workshop in 1888. By 1897, his firm employed 25 craftsmen with an annual turnover of 7,600 rubles. For comparison, Fabergé employed 204 craftsmen with a turnover of 164,000 rubles. Despite being a relatively small enterprise, Bragin’s workshop earned high regard for the excellent quality and refined design of its silver objects. Influenced by the fashions and tastes of the contemporary elite, most of Bragin’s works were executed in the Art Nouveau style, richly decorated with Pan-Slavic, floral, and natural motifs.
The firm regularly participated in national and international exhibitions, including Brussels (1897) and St. Petersburg (1903). Today, Bragin’s works are preserved in several national museums of Russia as well as numerous private collections.
Starting price: 3500€
Estimate: 4000-5000€
Hammer Price: 4000€