Lot 0241
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 g
A 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: €
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Lot 0239
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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 gA 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€
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Lot 0243
Faberge Silver-Gilt and Onyx Inkwell by Julius Rappoport
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Faberge Silver-Gilt and Onyx Inkwell by Julius Rappoport
Estimate: 2500-3500€Faberge. Neoclassical style inkwell.
Silver, cut-crystal, onyx.
Makers marks of «Faberge» and «IP». Petersburg, circa 1908.
Dimensions: 12 x 16.3 x 16.3 cmA square inkwell composed of a carved onyx base with silver mounts and corner finials, supporting a faceted cut-crystal ink container with a silver hinged cover. The refined combination of hardstone, crystal, and precious metal reflects the luxurious character of Fabergé’s desk accessories, intended both for practical use and as symbols of status and taste. Julius Alexander Rappoport was one of the most important Fabergé workmasters in St. Petersburg. A trained silversmith of Jewish origin from Kovno (now Kaunas, Lithuania), he established his own workshop in the 1880s and soon entered into exclusive collaboration with the firm of Carl Fabergé.
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Hammer Price: € -
Lot 0240
Silver-Gilt and Agate Bonbonniere by a Leading Jeweler of the Bolin Firm
Estimate: 3500-4500€
Lot 0240
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€
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Hammer Price: € -
Lot 0242
A Russian(?) Renaissance Cast Silver-Gilt, Cabochons and Agate Vase with Lid
Estimate: 3000-3500€
Lot 0242
A Russian(?) Renaissance Cast Silver-Gilt, Cabochons and Agate Vase with Lid
Estimate: 3000-3500€A Silver-Gilt and Agate Covered Vase with Cabochons
Russian (or Western European), early 19th century
Height: 18.3 cm
Dimensions of base: 19.2 × 15.2 cmOf oval form, the agate bowl and lid are mounted in chased silver-gilt bands with scrolling Renaissance ornament and set with cabochon stones. The entire vessel rests on a tripod of finely cast gilt-silver scroll supports terminating in lion-paw feet, on an agate plinth similarly mounted with gilt borders and cabochons.
The design resonates with the revival of Renaissance taste that spread across Europe—and into Russia—during the early nineteenth century. The interplay of semi-precious hardstone, richly chased gilt silver, and classical proportions demonstrates the kind of luxury object admired in aristocratic collections, echoing the tradition of princely hardstone services from Augsburg, Nuremberg, and St. Petersburg.
Comparable Works: Basket-shaped agate vase from the Hermitage’s collection (State Hermitage Museum, inventory ЭРКм-194). https://www.hermitagemuseum.org/digi
Starting price: 2500€
Estimate: 3000-3500€
Hammer Price: €