Russian Works of Art: 2023 Highlights

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The clear market leader for Fabergé and Russian Works of Art, Sotheby’s sold works for over £5.3m in 2023 alone, far outperforming other auction houses in this field. In July, Sotheby's had the honour to present museum-quality masterpieces from an Important American West Coast Collection, which achieved a staggering £1,127,506 in only 11 lots. Across sales in London, New York, Paris and Geneva, we have achieved strong results in each of the categories of Fabergé, silver, enamel, icons, Soviet and Imperial era porcelain, bronzeware and vertu.

With the most experienced team in the field, Sotheby’s has expertly navigated the challenges of the global political climate to great success. We have yet again been the only major auction house to have held dedicated sales of Fabergé and Russian Works of Art art during the past two years, which has given us a unique insight into the current market and the greatest access to collectors globally. We look forward to building on the successes of this year as we approach 2024 and to maintaining our position as the clear market leaders for Fabergé and Russian Works of Art.

Russian Works of Art: 2023 Highlights

  • A silver-gilt, cloisonné and en plein pictorial enamel casket, Feodor Rückert, Moscow, 1899-1908
    Leading an Important American West Coast Collection in our July sale was this cloisonné and pictorial en plein enamel casket by Rückert which achieved an astonishing £330,200.
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  • A magnificent and rare gold and enamel collar of the Order of St Andrew the First Called, the collar Pannasch, St Petersburg, 1836; the badge Keibel, St Petersburg, 1862
    This rare gold and enamel collar and badge of the Order of St Andrew, by both Pannasch and Keibel sold for an incredible £241,300 - four times its low estimate.
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  • An important icon of the fiery ascent of the Prophet Elijah, Novgorod or its environs, 16th century
    Originally in the collection of Alexei Vikulovich Morozov, this magnificent icon was seized by the Bolsheviks and entered the collection of the Muzei Farfora and later Tretyakov Gallery, before finding its way to the prestigious collection of George R. Hann. It remained in his possession until his death in 1979, when it was sold at auction. It achieved an impressive $252,000 in our New York auction, The One.
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  • An important Fabergé gem-set silver imperial presentation casket, Moscow, circa 1902
    Presented from the cabinet of Emperor Nicholas II to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs and Naval Minister Théophile Delcassé on President Loubet's state visit to Russia in 1902, this casket reached an impressive £190,500 at auction in July.
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  • A rare and important large silver and en plein pictorial enamel kovsh, Egor Cheryatov, Moscow, 1908-1917
    Selling for £190,500, this impressively chased large kovsh features masterpieces of pictorial enamel replicating Alexei Kivshenko’s ‘Military Council at Fili’ (1880) and one panel from Vasily Vereshchagin’s triptych ‘The Old Partisan’ (1887-1895).
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  • Eléa Lefèvre
    A monumental and important silver imperial presentation covered bratina and tray, Ovchinnikov, Moscow, 1896
    This monumental bratina and tray, which reached £165,100 at auction, was presented by Alexander III himself to the sailors of the Battleship Sinop. It would have been one of the first few imperial presentation pieces awarded during the Emperor’s reign.
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  • Truants: a Soviet porcelain charger, Shchekotikhina-Pototskaya, State Porcelain Manufactory, Leningrad, 1921
    This vibrantly coloured, dynamically painted charger is distinctive of Shchekotikhina-Pototskaya’s work. It is unsurprising that it achieved nearly over three times its low estimate, selling for £69,850.
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  • A pair of icons of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, Pskov School, 15th century
    These two icons also were originally in the collection of Alexei Vikulovich Morozov. They followed the same journey having been seized by the Bolsheviks to the collections of the Muzei Farfora, the Tretyakov Gallery and later of George R. Hann. We were delighted to have achieved $201,600 for them in The One sale in New York.
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  • A Fabergé gold-mounted nephrite kovsh, St Petersburg, 1903-1917
    More than doubling its low estimate, this beautifully crafted kovsh sold for £38,100. It exemplifies the masterful lapidary work for which Fabergé was known.
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  • A monumental silver-gilt and cloisonné enamel kovsh, Vasili Agafonov, St Petersburg, 1899-1908
    The vast size and gilded double-headed eagle prow both point to this finely enamelled kovsh being an imperial presentation piece, which well exceeded its estimate of £50,000-70,000 by achieving £120,650.
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  • Eléa Lefèvre
    A Fabergé silver imperial presentation trophy, Moscow, 1899-1908
    The original Fabergé drawing of this trophy, inscribed to indicate the original cost at 900 roubles, is found in the inventory of the State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg (Inv. ERO III – 1593). At an astounding price of £139,700, this lot achieved more than five times its low estimate.
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  • A Fabergé jewelled gold-mounted nephrite vinaigrette egg pendant, workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917
    The market for Fabergé egg pendants continues to soar, with lots continuing to exceed their estimates, such as this nephrite example by Henrik Wigström which reached £30,480 against an estimate of £5,000-7,000.
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  • A Fabergé jewelled gold and guilloché enamel paper knife, Moscow, 1899-1908
    The beautifully vibrant enamel, expert chasing and innovative pink gold of this paperknife are testament to the unmatched skill of Fabergé’s workmasters. At £20,320, more than double the low estimate, this paperknife reflects the ever-strong market for Fabergé.
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  • A gem-set silver-gilt and champlevé enamel icon of the Kazanskaya Mother of God, Sazikov, St Petersburg, 1867
    Wonderfully ornate, set with precious and semi-precious stones and showcasing fine filigree work, this icon by Sazikov unsurprisingly reached an impressive £76,200 at auction.
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  • A large and important figural silver casket, Khlebnikov, Moscow, 1908-1917
    Impressive not just in size but also in its masterfully executed silverwork, this casket brought in £120,650 in our July sale against an estimate of £55,000-65,000.
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  • Five porcelain plates from the Kremlin Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg, period of Nicholas I (1825-1855)
    Evidenced by a result of £20,320, which quadruples the low estimate for these Kremlin Service plates, the gilt wonders of the Imperial Porcelain Factory continue to dazzle our collectors around the world.
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  • A Fabergé Art Nouveau parcel-gilt silver-mounted cut-glass decanter, Moscow, 1896
    The foliate terminals and sweeping figural handle capture Fabergé’s ability to elevate everyday objects into a work of art and justify the impressive result this decanter achieved at auction of £30,480.
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  • A Fabergé jewelled varicoloured gold and silver-mounted guilloché enamel and mother of pearl miniature frame, workmaster Viktor Aarne, St Petersburg, 1899-1903
    Opulent materials rendered in miniature form earned this elegant frame £19,050 in our July auction.
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  • Two Plates from the Gothic Cottage Palace Service, Imperial Porcelain Factory, St Petersburg, Period of Nicholas I (1825-1855)
    Almost simulating stained glass, these richly coloured plates from the Gothic Cottage Palace Service attained an impressive $10,795 in our New York sale of Design 17/20, more than triple their low estimate.
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  • A large silver-gilt and cloisonné enamel kovsh, 20th Artel, Moscow, 1908-1917
    The strength of the enamel market has been evident across all our sales this year, and shows in the significant result of £46,990 for this enamelled kovsh by Moscow’s 20th Artel.
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