Lot 0153
Russian Silver and Porcelain Caviar Bowl for the Eliseev Brothers Trading Firm, Moscow, Late 19th–Early 20th Century
Estimate: 6000-8000€
A Silver and Porcelain Caviar Bowl dedicated to Moscow branch of “Eliseev Brothers” trading firm
Moscow, workshop of Matvei Mikhailovich Lombardo, late 19th – early 20th century.
Silver, porcelain; casting, chasing, engraving, lithograph painting on porcelain.
Dimensions: 7 × 12 × 12 cm.
Total weight: 494 g.
Marks: maker’s mark of “ФС” and M. Lombardo as trade firm; Moscow assay mark; 84 zolotniki silver standard.
The caviar bowl is formed as a circular porcelain container with a silver lid, surmounted by a naturalistically modelled figure of a sturgeon. The white porcelain body is decorated with printed inscriptions of the trading partnership “Eliseev Brothers” and the Russian Imperial double-headed eagle. The body bears the inscription: “Торговое товарищество Братья Елисъевы, Московское отделение” — “Trading Partnership Eliseev Brothers, Moscow Branch.”
The silver lid is conceived as both a decorative and advertising emblem. Around the rim is engraved the inscription “Trading House ‘Eliseev Brothers’,” while the centre is applied with a sculptural sturgeon curled into a ring. The fish is finely rendered, with chased details of the dorsal scutes, elongated head, fins and tail. T==
Matvei Mikhailovich Lombardo was one of the well-known Moscow silversmiths of the late Imperial period. Active from the 1880s until 1917, he owned both a workshop and a jewellery shop on Kuznetsky Most in Moscow.
The trading house Eliseev Brothers was among the most celebrated gastronomic enterprises of the Russian Empire. Its shops in St Petersburg and Moscow were not merely commercial premises, but splendid urban showcases of refined taste and modern retail culture. The famous St Petersburg store on Nevsky Prospect, opened in 1902, became one of the architectural and social landmarks of the city, while the Moscow branch on Tverskaya continued the same tradition of theatrical and luxurious presentation.
Starting price: 5000€
Estimate: 6000-8000€
Hammer Price: €
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Lot 0151
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Estimate: 5000-7000€A Russian Enamelled Copper Bowl
Usolye (Solvychegodsk),18th century
Dimensions: 4.5 х 9.5 х 9.5 cm.Finely painted in polychrome enamel with stylized floral and bird motifs on a white ground, framed by circular and oval medallions against a deep cobalt-blue background. The composition combines strong color contrasts and rhythmic ornament, characteristic of the celebrated Usolye enamel tradition of northern Russia.
Usolye (then known as Solvychegodsk) emerged as one of the principal centers of Russian enamel art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, founded under the patronage of the Stroganov merchant family. The early workshops, originally staffed by Novgorod craftsmen, developed a distinct regional style distinguished by vivid color palettes and expressive linework.
By the mid-seventeenth century, Usolye enamellers mastered painted enamel on copper, depicting large-scale floral and zoomorphic compositions—tulips, sunflowers, birds, and animals—set against white enamel grounds and separated by twisted filigree borders. These works were prized for their decorative richness and often adorned festive cups, caskets, mirrors, and domestic vessels.
Comparable enamelled wares from Usolye are preserved in the collections of the State Historical Museum, Moscow, and the Armoury Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin.
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Lot 0155
Russian Fabergé Jewelled Silver-Mounted Ceramic Kovsh, Moscow, 1908–1917
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Estimate: 9000-12000€A Rare Fabergé Jewelled Silver-Mounted Ceramic Kovsh
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Ceramic, silver, cabochon stones; moulding, glazing, casting, chasing, repoussé, stone setting.
Dimensions: 5.4 × 14.2 × 9 cm.
Marks: firm mark К. ФАБЕРЖЕ beneath the Imperial warrant; Moscow assay mark; 84 zolotniki silver standard.
A rare kovsh of rounded bowl form with a broad flat handle, combining a dark glazed ceramic body with a richly worked silver mount. Around the upper register runs an applied silver band with dense relief ornament of scrolling tendrils, stylised geometric motifs and small cabochon stones, including green and red accents. The handle continues the same ornamental language, with raised silver scrolls and inset green cabochons.
The form refers to the traditional Russian kovsh, a ceremonial drinking vessel deeply associated with Muscovite court culture and national decorative idioms. Here, however, the type is reinterpreted through the artistic language of the early twentieth century: heavy ceramic mass, dark glaze, abstracted ornament and jewelled silver mounts create an object that belongs equally to the world of historical revival and Russian Art Nouveau.
The ceramic body associated with the production of the Imperial Stroganov School, whose workshops played an important role in the renewal of Russian applied arts around 1900. Such ceramic objects were sometimes mounted in silver by leading Moscow workshops, among them the firm of Fabergé.
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Lot 0154
Russian Art Nouveau Silver and Porcelain Salt Cellar in the Form of a Throne, Moscow, 1908–1917
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Estimate: 2500-3500€A Russian Art Nouveau Silver and Porcelain Salt Cellar in the Form of a Throne
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Silver, porcelain, polychrome glaze; casting, chasing, repoussé, engraving, moulding, glazing.
Dimensions: 13 × 11 × 11.5 cm.
Marks: retailer’s mark of Nemirov-Kolodkin; mark of the 3rd Moscow Artel; Moscow assay mark; 84 zolotniki silver standard.
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The firm of Nemirov-Kolodkin was one of the important Moscow suppliers of silver objects in the late Imperial period. Its founder, Nikolai Vasilievich Nemirov-Kolodkin (1819-1886), a merchant of the first guild, jeweller and philanthropist, established a successful firm that continued after his death under his relatives and successors. From 1876 the firm supplied silver tableware for the Imperial kitchen, selecting individual workshops and artels according to the level and nature of each commission.
The object was executed by the 3rd Moscow Artel, whose mark appears on the silver element. The artel form of production emerged in Moscow silverwork in the early twentieth century and is closely connected with the flourishing of the Art Nouveau style. The 3rd Moscow Artel is known for highly accomplished works, including pieces retailed by leading firms and connected with the circle of craftsmen who had worked for or supplied Fabergé, Ovchinnikov, Khlebnikov and other major houses.Starting price: 2000€
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Lot 0152
A Russian Enamelled Copper Bowl Usolye (Solvychegodsk), 18th century
Estimate: 8000-12000€
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Estimate: 8000-12000€A Russian Enamelled Copper Bowl
Usolye (Solvychegodsk), 18th century
Dimensions: 2.5 х 10 х 10 cm.Painted in vibrant polychrome enamel with a central medallion depicting a dancing figure among tulips and foliage, the interior framed by scrolling floral ornament on a white ground. The exterior is richly decorated with floral motifs in circular reserves against a deep cobalt-blue background.
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