NEW YORK, NY.- Christie’s sale of Russian Works of Art on Monday, April 16 in New York features one of the strongest offerings of cloisonné enamel to come to the market in years, including works by the master craftsman, Feodor Rückert, and the house of Fabergé. The auction comprises fresh to the market works from distinguished European and American private collections and includes more than 175 lots of silver, enamels, objects of vertú, porcelain and bronzes, with a pre-sale estimate of $3 – 4.3 million.

Highlighting the exceptional section of cloisonné enamel is a silver-gilt cloisonné and en plein enamel casket by Feodor Rückert, from a Maryland private collection (estimate: $200,000-300,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.). An excellent example of Rückert’s late work in the Neo-Russian style, the cover panel of this exquisite casket depicts Tsar Ivan the Terrible Admiring Vasilisa Malentieva, after the painting by Grigory Sedov. Considered to be the artist’s masterwork, the original painting was executed in 1875 and now hangs in the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg. Vasilisa Melentieva (d. 1579) was the sixth wife of Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584). Tsar Ivan the Terrible Admiring Vasilisa Melentieva (1875) is the most important and most famous work by the artist Grigory Sedov (1836-1884), who took his inspiration from the play Vasilisa Melentieva(1868) by Alexander Ostrovsky (1823-1886). The original work is today in the collection of the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

Leading the works by Fabergé is a silver cloisonné and en plein enamel box (estimate: $180,000-250,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.), which is set with a fine enamel plaque depicting Departure of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich for the Hunt, after the painting by Victor Vasnetsov. The box is one of many lots of exceptional enamels from a New York private collection; Victor Vasnetsov (1848-1926) was one of the great Russian epic painters, whose depictions of historicist figures and events hold sway over the national imagination to this day. Many of his works were reproduced on Russian enamels in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.Departure of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich for the Hunt, (1897), however, was seldom reproduced, and surviving examples are rare. The original watercolor is today in the collection of the Novosibirsk Region Picture Gallery, Russia. 

The strong selection of Fabergé is also highlighted by a jeweled three-color gold, silver-gilt and guilloché enamel desk clock by the workmaster Henrik Wigström, that was presented to Baron Marochetti, the Italian Ambassador in St. Petersburg between 1886 and 1900 (estimate: $150,000-250,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.). Rectangular, enameled in translucent lilac over a wavy sunburst guilloché ground, the lower and upper sections applied with ribbon-tied and diamond-set laurel festoons and entwining wreaths, the white enamel dial within a seed-pearl bezel, black Arabic chapters and pierced gold hands, all within acanthus-chased border with rosettes at corners, the synthetic ivory back with silver scroll strut, the backplate with hand-set, marked on lower edge, back and strut, in the original silk and velvet-lined wood case stamped 'Fabergé St. Petersburg Moscow, Odessa' beneath the Imperial warrant; For a nearly identical clock acquired by Queen Elizabeth II, see C. de Guitaut, Fabergé in the Royal Collection, London, pp. 214-[215], no. 288. 

 

Other exquisite works by Fabergé in the sale include a jeweled silver-gilt massive covered tankard by the workmaster Stefan Wäkevä from a Georgia private collection (estimate: $60,000-80,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.). Cylindrical, with scroll handle and ball thumb-piece, the body on three ball feet with floral escutcheons above, the hinged domed cover cast with repoussé band of oak leaves and acorns along outer border, with further band of floral scrolls and strapwork, the ball finial surmounted by a diamond-set Imperial double-headed eagle, marked under base. 11½ in. (29.2 cm.) high; omparable Fabergé silver tankards were sold at Christie's, New York, October 23, 2000, lot 74, and Sotheby's, New York, April 12, 2011, lot 259.

 

A delicate jeweled gold-mounted agate and diamond-set bonbonnière by the workmaster Henrik Wigström, from a private collection, Houston, Texas (estimate: $40,000-60,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.). Circular, the carved mottled agate body applied with a trellis of rose-cut diamond ribbons and bows, the gold-mounted hinged cover centering a moss agate panel, the inside border of the cover engraved with band of laurel leaves, marked inside, also with French import marks; 2 in. (5.1 cm.) diameter. 

 

A jeweled parcel-gilt silver-mounted oak presentation desk that was presented to Allan Bowe, Peter Karl Fabergé’s business partner, by the employees of the firm’s Moscow branch to mark his retirement in 1906 (estimate: $25,000-35,000).

A highlight from the Russian Imperial court is a jeweled gold maid of honor badge by the court jeweler Hahn (estimate: $70,000-90,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.). The badge was presented in 1904 to Countess Olga Alexandrovna Nieroth (b. 1876), maid of honor to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, whose family had a distinguished record of military and civil service to the Russian empire. n the form of the Cyrillic initials 'MA,' set with rose-cut diamonds mounted on silver-topped gold, surmounded by a hinged rose-cut diamond-set crown, apparently unmarked, numbered 201, in the original fitted red leather presentation case with gilt-stamped Imperial double-headed eagle; 3 in. (7.6 cm.) high. Young ladies who were appointed as maids of honor (freilini) to the Empress came from the most illustrious families of the Russian Empire. Their fathers served with distinction in either the civil service, the military, or at court. The nomination was thus an honor for her father and her family at large, as much as it was for the young lady. (U. Tillander-Godenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System 1894-1917, Helsinki, 2005, p. 35). 
Prior to being appointed as a maid of honor, a young lady's character, and her family and social circle, were carefully scrutinized. The position afforded a young lady many privileges, the foremost of which was access to the Imperial court. Such access allowed her to form an influential network, which could be beneficial to her future.
There were two categories of maids of honor: maids of honor of the suite and maids of honor "of the city." The former, who were required to live at the palace, constituted a much smaller group (from one to five during this period), and the latter a much larger group (approximately 250 in 1916). (U. Tillander-Godenhielm, op cit, pp. 35-37).
Maid of honor cyphers consisted of the reigning Empress's initials surmounted by the Imperial crown. When a new empress ascended to the throne, or upon the death of a dowager empress, the design was changed. The present badge is in the form of the Cyrillic initials MA, which stand for Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928) and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872-1918), dating the badge to the reign of Emperor Nicholas II (1894-1917). The placement of the initial of the Dowager Empress on the left signified her higher rank within the court hierarchy.
Cyphers were worn on the young lady's left shoulder, suspended from the ribbon of the Order of St. Andrew, whenever court dress was prescribed. While the cost of each cypher was between 500 and 900 rubles, they were provided free of charge to the recipients. During the reign of Nicholas II, the Court jeweler Karl Hahn supplied maid of honor cyphers to the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty.
The present maid of honor cypher, numbered 201, is recorded in an invoice from Hahn to the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, dated January 9, 1904, as costing 700 roubles. It was later entered into the Cabinet ledgers as a part of a "group of maid of honor cyphers" under the number 218. On October 2, 1904, the cypher was presented to Countess Olga Alexandrovna Nieroth (b. 1876). Olga was the daughter of Colonel Count Alexander Evstafievich Nieroth (1839-1882) and Countess Maria Karlovna, née Countess Schulenburg (1851-1908). The Counts Nieroth had a long and distinguished record of military and civil service to the Russian empire.
Count Alexander von Benckendorff (1849-1917) was a Russian diplomat, who served as Ambassador to Denmark and the United Kingdom. He was appointed Ambassador Extraordinaire to the Court of St. James's in 1903. Countess Natalie Louise von Benckendorff (1886-1968) was the daughter of Alexander von Benckendorff. She married Sir Jaspar Nicholas Ridley, TD, OBE, KCB, on April 28, 1911 in London.

A comparable maid of honor cypher to the present lot was sold at Christie's, New York, April 18, 2008, lot 300.

For a further discussion of the subject of maids of honor and ladies of the Russian Imperial court, see U. Tillander-Godenhielm, op cit, pp. 31-45.

Other sale highlights include a silver and cloisonné enamel vodka set by Feodor Rückert from New York private collection (estimate: $60,000-80,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.), Comprising a flask, six cups, and a tray; decorated overall with varicolor shaded foliate scrolls and stylized blossoms on cream, blue and green grounds, the flask of elongated baluster form, with waisted knopped neck and detachable conical cover with ball finial, the cylindrical cups on domed circular feet, the circular tray with scalloped rim and supports for the flask and cups,marked throughout. The tray 10 in. (25.4 cm.) diameter, the flask 12 in. (30.5 cm.) high, the cups 2 3/8 in. (6 cm.) high. A comparable vodka set by Feodor Rückert was sold at Christie's, New York, April 18, 2008, lot 94. 

 

A silver and en plein enamel large kovsh retailed by Nemirov-Kolodkin from a Colorado private collection (estimate: $40,000-60,000) (Photo: Christie's Images Ltd 2012.), as well as a wide selection of 19th century bronzes from Evgeny Lanceray and Nikolai Lieberich. Of square form, the shaped sides repoussé and chased with a band of fish and dolphins, the shaped openwork handle with scrolling foliage and supported at the back by a twisted ropework bracket, the handle suspending a chain of enameled spherical pendants, the front set with an en plein enamel plaque depicting A Boyar Wedding Feast after Konstantin Makovsky, marked under base and on handle: 10 in. (25.4 cm.) high. A comparable kovsh by Nemirov-Kolodkin was sold at Christie's, London, June 11, 2008, lot 311; a comparable kovsh by Egor Cheryatov was sold at Christie's, New York, April 24, 2006, lot 257. 

Auction: Russian Works of Art ~ Monday, 16 April 2012
Viewing: Thursday – Monday, 12-16 April 2012