MARKED O. KURLIUKOV, MOSCOW, 1908-1917

Details

A LARGE GEM-SET SILVER KOVSH
MARKED O. KURLIUKOV, MOSCOW, 1908-1917
Of traditional form, the spout realistically cast and chased as a gusli player, wearing traditional Russian costume, the body repoussé and chased with foliate scrolls, the angular handle chased with scales and scrolls, set with cabochon garnets and turquoise, also applied with a crowned cypher 'W', marked under base and on handle, also with import marks
15¾ in. (40 cm.) wide
42.3 oz. (1,316 gr.) gross

Special notice

These lots have been imported from outside the EU for sale using a Temporary Import regime. Import VAT is payable (at 5%) on the Hammer price. VAT is also payable (at 20%) on the buyer’s Premium on a VAT inclusive basis. When a buyer of such a lot has registered an EU address but wishes to export the lot or complete the import into another EU country, he must advise Christie's immediately after the auction.

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Lot Essay

The present kovsh embodies the distinctive neo-Russian style, which saw a rebirth in the early twentieth century. The revival of traditional Russian subject matter and technique is reflected in the form of this kovsh, as well as its ornament. The finely chased figure of a gusli player is reminiscent of the fictional bard Boyan from the twelfth-century Russian epic poem The Song of Igor's Campaign ['Slovo o Polku Igoreve']. The present kovsh's iconography could also refer to the medieval story of Sadko, the merchant and gusli player of Novgorod and his adventures in the realm of the Sea King. The story was famously set to music by the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) in the opera Sadko, which premiered in Moscow in 1898.

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