Lot 16
A pair of Russian mid 19th century silver wine coolers
Carl Tegelsten, St. Petersburg, 1849
Auction: 23 November 2008 at 15:00 GMT
Description
the bowls finely cast, repoussé, chased and engraved with huntsmen with hounds pursuing deer and rabbits through dense woodland, the handles realistically modelled as scrolling fruiting vines rising from bases in the form of rock promontories, the rims of the detachable liners similarly cast with vines (2)
Each 42cm high.
Footnote
These wine coolers are possibly inspired by the great Parisian goldsmiths, Thomas Germain and Jacques Roettiers. But these are very far from copies. The way in which the krater-like vase has been completely enveloped by the living vine could only be Victorian but the craggy rocky base which supports the vase reinvents a Roettiers centrepiece of the 1740s, while the vine handles recall those of a Germain wine cooler of 1727.
Carl Tegelsten supplied silver for the famous firm of Nichols and Plinke, who were known as the Magazin Anglais (The English Shop). The two English gentlemen who founded the firm, Constantine Nichols and William Plinke were granted Russian citizenship in 1804, the firm was active between 1829 & 1870. The Russian aristocracy and the Imperial Court being the main clients. The firm was very much the leader in the Russian market but were eventually outshone by Faberge.