Lot 0115
Russian Cast Silver and Onyx Composition “Caucasian Leopard” by Joseph Marshak
Estimate: 3000-4000€
A Silver and Onyx Composition “Caucasian Leopard”
Joseph Marshak Firm, Kiev, 1908–1917
Dimensions: 8 × 14.5 × 6.3 cm
Total weight: 646 g
Cast in silver, the dynamic figure of a prowling leopard is depicted descending a rocky slope, mounted on a polished green onyx base. The front plaque bears the Cyrillic inscription “Кавказский барсъ” (Caucasian Leopard). Maker’s mark of the Joseph Marshak firm.
Iosif Abramovich Marshak (1854–1918) was one of Imperial Russia’s foremost jewelers, often referred to as the “Cartier of Kiev” or “Ukrainian Fabergé.” He founded his workshop in 1878, which developed into a major jewelry enterprise on Khreshchatyk Street. The firm’s innovative production methods, employment of both male and female artisans, and participation in international exhibitions in Chicago (1893) and Antwerp (1894) earned Marshak worldwide acclaim.
Marshak’s workshop produced exquisite jewelry, presentation silverware, clocks, and commemorative objects, admired for their refined craftsmanship and artistic individuality.
Starting price: 2500€
Estimate: 3000-4000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€
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Lot 0113
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Scratched inventory number: 81801
Dimensions: 7 × 23.5 × 12.4 cmA finely worked rectangular tray combining the deep tones of polished jasper with a refined silver rim, ornamented with ribbon-tied swags.
Comparable example:
A pair of Russian silver-gilt mounted red jasper tazze, marked Fabergé with the Imperial warrant (Moscow, 1899–1908, scratched inventory number 21517) sold at Christie’s, demonstrates a closely related use of red jasper with silver mounts in Fabergé’s decorative repertoire.
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Lot 0116
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Cast silver on a rectangular base of polished lapis lazuli.
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Lot 0114
Russian Cast Silver and Blue Opaline Glass Paperweight
Estimate: 700-900€
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Estimate: 700-900€Russian Silver and Blue Opaline Glass Paperweight. Moscow, 1874 . Bakhmetiev Glass Factory . Cast silver, opaline glass.
Dimensions: 5.2 x 12.8 x 8.8 cm.A luminous blue opaline glass paperweight, its surface inlaid with scrolling silver ornament and surmounted by a finely cast silver blossom. Produced at the renowned Bakhmetiev (later Никольский) Glass Factory, it reflects the Russian tradition of elevating glassmaking to the level of decorative art.
The factory was founded in 1764 in the Penza province by Alexei Ivanovich Bakhmetev, with the permission of Catherine the Great. Despite being almost destroyed during the Pugachev uprising, the enterprise was rebuilt and by the 1830s had become one of the leading crystal producers in Russia. Its wares ranged from luxurious cut, engraved and enameled vessels for the nobility and the Imperial Court—earning the right in 1836 to mark production with the state emblem—to high-quality household glass admired for clarity, brilliance, and resonant tone.
Under Prince A. D. Obolensky, who took ownership in 1884, the factory expanded, employing nearly 1,000 workers and establishing schools, a hospital, and even a theater. Generations of master craftsmen, such as the celebrated Vershinin-Protasov family, created virtuoso works, including unique double-layered glasses with miniature landscapes between the walls.Starting price: 600€
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Lot 0117
Figurine of a French Sphinx by M. Ovchinnikov
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Lot 0117
Figurine of a French Sphinx by M. Ovchinnikov
Estimate: 6000-8000€Figurine of a French Sphinx by M. Ovchinnikov . Silver, casting, chasing, white material, jasper. Makers mark of M. Ovchinnikov with the Imperial warrant. Petersburg, 1908-1917.
The sphinx is shown in the traditional pose of a reclining lion with a female head. The face and neck are carved from white material, with the hair tied back with a ribbon. The body, enveloped in drapery, is cast in silver, with finely detailed folds and leonine paws. The figure rests on a rectangular jasper (?) base.
The revived Mannerist sphinx of the late 15th century is sometimes thought of as the “French sphinx”. Her coiffed head is erect and she has the breasts of a young woman. The motif of women sphinx during Art Deco period can also be connected to the motif of the “femme fatale” figure in decorative art in which a typically female-like figure or beast seduces men. This could be a depiction of either Madame Pompadour or Madame DuBarry, who were both mistresses to Louis XV, and often had their likenesses depicted atop the robed body of a sphinx.
The use of the chryselephantine technique — a combination of precious metal and white material — has its origins in antiquity and enjoyed renewed popularity in European decorative arts during the Art Deco period.Mikhail Pavlovich Ovchinnikov (1855–1915) Son of the firm’s founder, Pavel Akimovich Ovchinnikov. Supplier to the Imperial Court, and patron of the arts. Co-founder and member of the Council of the Imperial Stroganov School. After his father’s death in 1888, he continued the family business, becoming head of the trading house and director of the firm’s St. Petersburg branch.
In 1902 he supported the establishment of an enamel workshop at the Stroganov School, followed in 1909 by a jewelry workshop. He provided financial donations for the Whole Russian Design Competition of decorative arts and revived the jewelry school at the factory originally founded by P.A. Ovchinnikov.
Dimensions: 14 x 17.8 x 7.5 cm. Total weight: 1106.2 gStarting price: 5000€
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Hammer Price: 6000€