Fabergé, Imperial & Revolutionary Works of Art
Fabergé, Imperial & Revolutionary Works of Art
A rare porcelain covered cup, Imperial Porcelain Factory, Period of Nicholas II, 1914
Lot Closed
July 11, 02:50 PM GMT
Estimate
6,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
Painted by V. L. Duchen after the design by D. V. Mileev, modelled as an 18th-century silver covered cup, painted imitating enamelled patterns in red, black, grey and orange colours with gilt borders, the lid with conforming design and a finely modelled finial depicting an Imperial eagle with the shield of St George slaying the dragon, described in an original document from Hammer Galleries dated 9 November 1938, marked on the underside with green imperial cypher of Nicholas II and dated
height 43cm; 17 in.
Hammer Galleries, New York, 1938
This 'goblet' cup is a rare survival from a small group of covered cups made by the Imperial Porcelain factory between 1914 and 1915, designed by Dmitrii Mileev.
Based on the archival document about the 'offering and delivery of eggs in 1914', it is known that 'Their Imperial Majesties the Sovereign Emperor and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna' were given a covered cup in the form of a 'goblet' painted by Duchen. According to its Imperial Porcelain Factory mark, the present cup dates to 1914, making it a rare an important survival.
This design is further recorded in the 'Price list for picturesque things of the Imperial Porcelain and Glass Factory' and it is detailed that in addition to the 'goblet' cup painted in December 1914 for the Imperial couple, Wilhelmina Duchen painted five further 'goblet' cups according to Mileev's drawing in April, June, July, August and October of 1915. One of these 'goblet' cups, of the same design as the present cup, is kept in the Museum of the Imperial Porcelain Factory at the State Hermitage (State catalog of the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation No. 19495369).
We are grateful for the assistance of Dr. Natalia Petrova in researching the present 'goblet' cup.