Lot 0179
An unusual Russian silver advertising snuff box with en plein enamel panels
Estimate: 2500-3500€
An unusual Russian silver advertising snuff box with en plein enamel panels.
St Petersburg, workshop of Ivan Savelyevich Britsyn, circa 1908-1917.
Silver, enamel; painted en plein enamel, gilding.
Weight: 194 g.
Dimensions: 11.4 x 4.2 x 4.2 cm.
Marks: maker’s mark of Ivan Britsyn, “И.Б.”; Petersburg silver assay mark, 91 zolotnik standard.
This rare advertising snuff box is executed in the form of a tall rectangular case with rounded corners and a fitted cover.
The principal plaque is painted in polychrome enamel and bears the inscription “Essence de fleurs / Violette d’Antibes / Laboratoire Chimique de St Pétersbourg”. The composition combines a picturesque coastal view, sprays of violets, and a heraldic shield. The reverse is decorated with a second enamel panel in the form of a stamp-like label reading “С.-Петербургская Химическая Лаборатория” (“St Petersburg Chemical Laboratory”).
The box was made in the workshop of Ivan Savelyevich Britsyn (1870-1952), a notable St Petersburg jeweller and enameller. Born into a peasant family from Moscow province, Britsyn trained in the workshop of Carl Fabergé and in 1903 passed the examination for the title of master of the silver trade at the St Petersburg Craft Administration. He subsequently established his own workshop, later known as “Russian Enamel”, producing snuff boxes, cigarette cases, desk clocks, cufflinks, buckles, and other luxury objects. From 1909 he participated in exhibitions, including international ones, and eventually became a Supplier to the Imperial Court. After the Revolution he continued to work independently until 1924, later joining cooperative and factory production.
Starting price: 2000€
Estimate: 2500-3500€
Hammer Price: €
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