19th C. Russian Cloisonne & Gilt Silver Kovsh & Ladle

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Exceptional Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographi...

By Artemis Gallery

Jun 10, 2021

Set Reminder 2021-06-10 10:00:00 2021-06-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Exceptional Antiquities | Asian | Ethnographic https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/exceptional-antiquities-asian-ethnographic-7012
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• Lot Description
  Eastern Europe, Russia, Moscow & St. Petersburg, Imperial Period, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A gorgeous high-quality silver and gilt cloisonne vessel known as a kovsh with an elegant serving ladle. The kovsh presents with an ovoid bowl and gilt walls that are adorned with vibrant cloisonne patterns in hues of green, blue, yellow, red, pink and white within rope and twist designs. A rooster head rises from the front and the openwork handle forms the tail. The motifs are floral, geometric, and vegetal with some circular and petal shaped patterns. Inset on the sides and as the rooster's eyes are 6 garnet stones within circular bezels. On the base is a silver assay mark known as "kokoshnik" with a face in profile to the left of the number "84," all within an oval. Above is the Cyrillic script for the craftsman Ivan Khlebnikov (1819-1881). The back of the large spoon is worked in a vibrant enamel scrolling foliate motif. The twisted handle is decorated with additional cloisonne designs upon the gilt silver ground. Upon the neck are the assay and maker marks, including the Cyrillic initials "KF" for the famous Faberge workshop. Faberge commissioned work masters and artels to create smaller works that are stamped with the Faberge mark. The kovsh is a traditional drinking vessel, but the ornate designs and materials employed by the workshops made them suitable as symbolic pieces presented by the Tsar to government officials or important citizens as gifts. From the mid-19th century to the early 20th, Russian art of all kinds experienced a renaissance that is known as the Silver Age. They combined this with the bright colors and rich ornament of Old Russian applied art to create a unique style of which silver items like these spoons are some of the most enduring. Size (kovsh): 9.375" L x 4.75" W x 6.375" H (23.8 cm x 12.1 cm x 16.2 cm); quality of silver: 90% to 92%; total weight: 698 grams; size (ladle): 9.875" L x 2.675" W (25.1 cm x 6.8 cm); quality of silver: 95%; total weight: 178.1 grams
  
  Provenance: ex-collection of James Farmer, Maryland, collected from major galleries and auction houses between 1995 and 2005
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #120562

  Condition

  Handle on kovsh has stable fissures along the three areas it connects to the rest of the body with heavier oxidation in this area. Some softening to maker's marks but still legible. Minor nicks to enamel. Very good condition. Spoon has chips and loss to enamel where neck connects to bowl. Maker marks are soft but legible. Fading of gilt, but nice traces on handle. Cleanable patina on interior of bowl.
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