DATED 1808,

Kholmogory, located near Archangel on the White Sea coast, was an important trading city in Russia's far north and, in particular, was a center of the walrus ivory trade. During the 18th century it produced high quality and highly original carved ivory frames, boxes, busts and in some exceptional cases full-scale veneered furniture. The more sophisticated pieces, like the present lot, incorporated motifs from western Europe, such as the stylized swags, fluting and pierced scrolling floral rinceaux, all of which are typical neoclassical elements of the late 18th and early 19th century pieces. These designs reached this region through carvers who customarily trained in Moscow and especially St. Petersburg for several years and then returned to their native region. For additional comparisons see I. N. Ukhanova, Bone carving in Russia in the 18th and 19th Centuries, 1981, pp. 107-110.