CAUCASUS, 1837

Details

A MIKHAIL LERMONTOV AUTOGRAPH SILVER BEAKER
CAUCASUS, 1837
Cylindrical, depicting a portrait of Mikhail Lermontov (1814-1841), with his facsimile signature underneath, the body chased with a Russian inscription in verse 'To my dear friend Sviatoslav Raevski / I am here because I wrote about the death of a much-loved poet / In my soul I exalt and am proud despite Petersburg society / I have been a guest here before / My majestic and beloved Caucasus enchants me / I send you this beaker with my portrait on it / Taste the nectar from it and be sure of my regard / 5 July 1837', apparently unmarked; together with a silver repoussé bowl decorated with images of Georgian musicians and dancers, Tiflis, 1874, and a silver beaker, Moscow, 1796
The beaker, 3 in. (7.5 cm.) high and smaller
11.96 oz. (371.4 gr.)

Provenance

Collection Alexandre Djanchieff.
By descent to the present owner.

Brought to you by

Marina Nekliudova

MNekliudova@christies.com +44 (0)207 389 2210

Lot Essay

Lermontov’s poem ‘Death of the Poet’, in which he criticised the leading aristocracy for the death of Alexander Pushkin, caused a huge sensation amongst society when it was published in 1837. Tsar Nicolas I, furious at Lermontov’s public accusations, exiled the poet to the Caucasus, where he served in the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon regiment between 1837 and 1838.

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