SAINT PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1790-1795

At the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century, Russian palaces were predominantly furnished with objets d'art and furniture produced at Western European ateliers. To combat the outflow of capital from Russia and to help the development of local workshops, authorities implemented strict measures to make the import of foreign commodities more difficult. With the introduction of customs duties on all objets de luxe and the foundation of the Imperial bronze manufactory in 1778, local bronziers began to flourish in the late 1700s. In the late 1700s and early 1800s designers in Russia relied heavily on French models and forms. However, their works had a strong local flair and exhibited a distinct preference for certain decorative elements such as birds, winged sea-creatures, harpies and sphynxes, as evidenced by this pair of wall-lights. Candelabra with comparable bird and winged figures are illustrated I. Sychev, Russian Bronze, Moscow, 2002, pp. 77 and 82.