Lot 0211
Russian Porcelain Handle with Gold Mounts and Guilloché Enamel by Bolin, Moscow, 1912–1917
Estimate: 3500-4500€
A Rare Russian Porcelain Handle with Gold Mounts and Guilloché Enamel
Moscow, 1912-1917.
Imperial Porcelain Factory; makers mark of W. A. Bolin.
Porcelain, gold, guilloché enamel. Total weight: 45 g, Total lenght with screw: 8 cm. Diameter near the screw: 2 cm. Diameter of the top: 2,7 cm.
A refined handle of tapering baluster form, executed in white porcelain and painted with a soft green feather-like motif. The lower mount is fashioned in gold and enriched with translucent pink opal guilloché enamel laid over an engine-turned ground. The mount is further ornamented with applied laurel swags, a motif associated with the neoclassical vocabulary that remained popular in Faberge circle decorative arts of the late Imperial period.
The marks visible on the gold rim indicate Russian production of the early 20th century by the Bolin firm, while the porcelain body is attributed to the Imperial Porcelain Factory. Wilhelm (Vasily Andreyevich) Bolin, son of Henrik Bolin, continued the family’s Moscow business with the support of his St. Petersburg cousins, Eduard and Gustav. From 1888 to 1912, the Moscow branch operated under the name C.E. Bolin; after Vasily Andreyevich had established financial independence, it was renamed V.A. Bolin. The firm’s shop was located on Kuznetsky Most, Moscow’s principal jewellery district, not far from the premises of Carl Fabergé.
The Moscow branch catered to a broader clientele than its St. Petersburg counterpart and was especially known for its silver wares, including table services, flatware, and luxury accessories. In 1912, Vasily Andreyevich Bolin became the last member of the family to receive the title of the Imperial Court Supplier.
At the turn of the 20th century, the firm’s production combined reinterpretations of historical European styles with the fluid decorative language of Art Nouveau, particularly favoured in Moscow. This synthesis was distinguished by a specifically Moscow character, marked by pictorial richness, ornamental freedom, and festive elegance.
Starting price: 3000€
Estimate: 3500-4500€
Hammer Price: €
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