The Napoleonic Wars: A silver-gilt and niello commemorative snuff box , Ivan Kaltikov, Moscow, 1827

of undulating pocket-fitting form, the lid niello'd with a full-length portrait of General Nikolai Raevsky, reeded sides, the reverse inscribed 'Paris/ à 31 marz/ 1814', 84 standard

With wear to the gilding and niello and minor scratches.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Nikolai Nikolaevich Raevsky (1771-1829) was a highly-decorated Russian general who rose to fame during the Napoleonic Wars. After fighting against Turkey (1787-1792) and Poland (1792), he received the highest military award in Imperial Russia—the Order of St George. Due to his close relationship with Prince G.A. Potemkin, whom Emperor Paul I despised, Raevsky was dismissed from the military shortly afterwards. After the breakout of the Napoleonic Wars, however, he rejoined the army and returned to the battlefield in 1807.

The infantry under Raevsky’s command defended a strategically-significant position at the battle of Borodino. In the battle of Leipzig, the Russian general fought bravely despite being wounded and was awarded the Order of St Vladimir for his courage. On 31 March 1814, after defeating Napoleon, Raevsky entered Paris alongside Emperor Alexander I and his troops. The inscription on the reverse of the present lot commemorates the date. A similar silver niello box by Kaltikov depicting Raevsky in battle is kept at the Winter Palace in St Petersburg (Z.A. Bernyakovich, Russian Silver Wares of the 18th-the Beginning of the 20th Century in the State Hermitage Collection, Leningrad, 1977, illustrated: plate 159).