A pair of Russian gilt-bronze mounted cut-glass vases, Imperial Glass Works, St Petersburg, circa 1810

Russian Imperial Collections, sold in the Soviet Government Works of Art Sales held in 1928-1932, mostly through the German auction house Lepke in Berlin.

These vases, distinguished by their cut glass bodies and elegantly adorned with fine gilt-bronze mounts, are a hallmark of Russian craftsmanship from the early 19th century.

During the course of the 18th century in Russia, the centre of the glass-making industry moved to the new capital, St. Petersburg. The first manufactory was founded in St. Petersburg in 1735 by William Elmzel, along the Fontanka River banks. In 1774, it was moved to Nazya, a small village near Schlusselburg. Three years later with Elmzel's death, it was seized into perpetual and hereditary possession by Prince G. A. Potemkin, who established it again near St. Petersburg, in the outpost of Ozerki. It was not until 1792 that the company took the name of Imperial Glass Manufactory under the direction of the Treasury. At that time, the factory had nearly two hundred workers.  

During the 19th century, the Imperial Glass Manufactory still played its role as a determinant of fashion and served as an example for the few hundred other private factories in Russia. Technical innovations offered new possibilities for using glass. They designed candleholders, vases, jars, goblets and light fixtures and their works of great quality were intended for the Tsar, the Court and the aristocratic St. Petersburg elite.

A similar pair of vases was sold at Sotheby’s, London, 12th June 2007, lot 353. Interestingly, similar handles (with Egyptian-like heads instead of beasts) and the same marks to the underside are found on a pair of Russian gilt and patinated bronze urns sold at Sotheby’s, New York, 28th January 2005, lot 600. The latter because of their intricate design and inclusion of Egyptian heads can be brought closer to the work of Andrei Voronikhin (1759-1814) who was known as an architect and designer. Described as possessing a fine sense of proportion with the ability to beautifully balance colour, it is his regard for the design of decorative objects, his particular deliberation in attaining a balance between the amount of gilt-bronze applied to the stone, glass or porcelain object in order to enhance the natural beauty of the material, that earned him esteem.