Lot 0160
Russian Porcelain Plate, Designed by Elizabeth Bem (BEHM) with a Proverb
Estimate: 250-350€
A Russian porcelain plate designed by Elisaveta (Elizabeth) Bem (Böhm), decorated with a proverb:
“I’ll sit down at the table and think about how I should live, how I should be lonely.”
Maker’s mark: Kornilov Manufactory, St. Petersburg.
Date: late 19th – early 20th century.
Diameter: 24.8 cm.
Elisaveta Merkuryevna Bem (1843–1914) was a Russian artist and illustrator, born into an old noble family of Tatar origin. She studied at the Drawing School of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts in St. Petersburg and graduated with a silver medal in 1864.
Bem became widely known for her silhouette albums — “Silhouettes” (1875) and “Silhouettes from Children’s Life” (1877) — and later for her illustrations of Russian folk proverbs and sayings. She collaborated with prominent publishers, including Posrednik (at the invitation of Leo Tolstoy) and I.D. Sytin, creating drawings full of warmth, humor, and insight into everyday life.
In the 1890s she began designing patterns for glassware and porcelain, achieving success at major exhibitions — including the World’s Fair in Chicago (1893) and the All-Russian Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod (1896).
Her works were highly regarded both in Russia and abroad, receiving medals at international exhibitions in Paris (1900), Munich (1902), and Milan (1906). Bem’s art is admired for its lyrical simplicity and deep empathy toward common people and children, often expressed through moral reflections and folk wisdom — as seen in this plate’s design.
Starting price: 200€
Estimate: 250-350€
Hammer Price: 250€
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