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Lot Essay
Finely facetted glassware from the Imperial Glass Factory was unrivalled in quality during the early 19th century and known as 'Russian Stone' for its mirror-like polish and rainbow colour when lit. Specialising in unique objects to decorate palace interiors the Imperial Glass Factory was the eminent producer of glass at the epicenter of production in St. Petersburg.
A virtually identical example to the present lot, from the Imperial collections, is preserved at the Hermitage and illustrated in N. Thon (ed.), St. Petersburg um 1800, Recklinghausen, Exhibition Catalogue, 1990, cat. no. 344, p. 398. Another pair of this model sold Christie's, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 300 ($82,500).
The present model is likely based on a design by Ivan Ivanov who was director of the Imperial Glass Factory from 1815-1848 and responsible for most of the designs for coloured glass or crystal pieces executed for the Imperial family. The factory is recorded to have said that "Ivanov makes drawings of items chiefly made for presentation to the emperor; his items are marked by the fineness of form and deserve every praise" (T. Malinina, Russian Glass of the 17th-20th Centuries, The Corning Museum of Glass, New York, 1990, p. 32).
The fine ormolu mounts appear to be of French origin and are possibly by the celebrated Parisian bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751 - 1843). Compare the handles to a vase by Thomire illustrated in Decorative Bronzes of Pierre-Phillipe Thomire, Exhibition Catalogue, The Hermitage, 1984 no. 32, p. 30. It is likely that the Imperial Glass Factory would have sourced ormolu of this quality from France; encouraged by the absence of Russian import duties on French bronzes at the time.
A virtually identical example to the present lot, from the Imperial collections, is preserved at the Hermitage and illustrated in N. Thon (ed.), St. Petersburg um 1800, Recklinghausen, Exhibition Catalogue, 1990, cat. no. 344, p. 398. Another pair of this model sold Christie's, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 300 ($82,500).
The present model is likely based on a design by Ivan Ivanov who was director of the Imperial Glass Factory from 1815-1848 and responsible for most of the designs for coloured glass or crystal pieces executed for the Imperial family. The factory is recorded to have said that "Ivanov makes drawings of items chiefly made for presentation to the emperor; his items are marked by the fineness of form and deserve every praise" (T. Malinina, Russian Glass of the 17th-20th Centuries, The Corning Museum of Glass, New York, 1990, p. 32).
The fine ormolu mounts appear to be of French origin and are possibly by the celebrated Parisian bronzier Pierre-Philippe Thomire (1751 - 1843). Compare the handles to a vase by Thomire illustrated in Decorative Bronzes of Pierre-Phillipe Thomire, Exhibition Catalogue, The Hermitage, 1984 no. 32, p. 30. It is likely that the Imperial Glass Factory would have sourced ormolu of this quality from France; encouraged by the absence of Russian import duties on French bronzes at the time.