Lot 0119
Interesting Russian Silver-Gilt and Quartzite from Belorechensk Tray in the Form of a Fish by Avenir Sumin
Estimate: 5000-7000€
Russian Silver-Gilt and Quartzite Tray in the Form of a Fish.
Maker’s mark of Avenir Sumin, St. Petersburg, 1908–1917.
Belorechensk quartzite, silver-gilt
.
Dimensions: 3.5 × 13.5 × 9.3 cm
Total weight: 109.5 g
A whimsical tray in the form of a stylized fish, its body carved from richly veined Belorechensk quartzite and mounted in finely worked silver-gilt. The scales and tail are engraved with delicate precision, while the eye is set with a warm cabochon, lending the object both humor and elegance.
The piece bears the mark of Avenir Sumin, one of the most renowned stonecutting jewelers of late Imperial Russia and an official supplier to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Known for combining vividly colored hardstones with refined silver mounts, Sumin created objects that appealed to both Russian and international collectors.
Starting price: 4500€
Estimate: 5000-7000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€
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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€ -
Lot 0120
A Russian Gem-Set, Chalcedony and Golden Mount Bonbonniere
Estimate: 3500-5000€
Lot 0120
A Russian Gem-Set, Chalcedony and Golden Mount Bonbonniere
Estimate: 3500-5000€Russian Gem-Set Chalcedony Bonbonniere with Gold Mount. Petersburg, late 19th century . Chalcedony, gold mount, cabochon gemstone .
Dimensions: 3.4 × 3.8 × 3.8 cm.
Total weight: 43.4 gA delicate bonbonniere carved from richly mottled chalcedony, its surface animated by natural inclusions of deep red and white. The hinged cover is mounted in finely worked gold, designed with an openwork rope-twist motif radiating in petal-like sections, and set with a central cabochon gemstone that adds a vivid accent.
Small luxury containers of this type were highly prized in Imperial Russia, both as functional boxes for sweets or snuff and as refined collector’s objects demonstrating mastery in combining hardstone carving with goldsmithing.Starting price: 3000€
Estimate: 3500-5000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€ -
Lot 0118
Interesting Round Box “Berrys Still life”. Ural gemstones
Estimate: 800-1000€
Lot 0118
Interesting Round Box “Berrys Still life”. Ural gemstones
Estimate: 800-1000€Round Stone Box “Berries Still Life” . Ekaterinburg, mid-19th century Various Ural gemstones. Height: 9.5 cm.
A finely crafted hardstone box, its lid surmounted by a miniature still life of berries, carved from a variety of Ural gemstones in naturalistic shades of amber, honey, and deep orange. The base, turned from dark stone, provides a contrasting ground that highlights the delicate translucency and warm colors of the fruits above.
Comparable works
Related Ural hardstone compositions—fruit and berry groups carved from chalcedony, carnelian, smoky quartz and agate, often set on dark stone stands—are held in the State Hermitage Museum (St Petersburg) and in the A. E. Fersman Mineralogical Museum (Moscow).Starting price: 600€
Estimate: 800-1000€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€ -
Lot 0121
Silver-Gilt and Agate Bonbonniere by a Leading Jeweler of the Bolin Firm
Estimate: 3500-4500€
Lot 0121
Silver-Gilt and Agate Bonbonniere by a Leading Jeweler of the Bolin Firm
Estimate: 3500-4500€Russian Silver-Gilt and Agate Bonbonniere. Maker’s mark of Vladimir Finikov, Bolin Firm . Petersburg, late 19th century. Agate, silver-gilt mount.
Dimensions: 4 × 5 × 5 cm
Total weight: 58 gAn elegant bonbonniere, carved from richly banded agate in a spiraling fluted design, the swirling patterns of the stone enhanced by its warm translucency. The hinged cover continues the motif with radiating flutes and is mounted with a finely chased silver-gilt rim of foliate ornament.
The box bears the mark of Vladimir Finikov, one of the leading masters of the prestigious Bolin Firm—jewelers to the Russian Imperial Court and long-standing rivals of Fabergé. Works by Bolin are renowned for their precision and refinement, often distinguished by a restrained elegance that appealed to the aristocracy and the Imperial family.
Comparable works Agate bonbonnieres with gilt or silver mounts by Bolin and Fabergé are preserved in the Armoury Chamber, the Hermitage, and prominent private collections. Auction examples include a V. Finikov by Bolin gold and moonstone brooch offered at Sotheby’s, Russian Sale – Works of Art, Fabergé (Lot 421, 2007) and another high-quality gold piece by Finikov sold at Christie’s under Lot 6340822.
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2007/russian-sale-works-of-art-faberge-l07113/lot.421.html
https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6340822Starting price: 3000€
Estimate: 3500-4500€
Hammer Price: UNSOLD€