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SILVER Seller in Alpes-Maritimes, France
A Russian silver-gilt salt cellar, made in Moscow in 1882. Designed as a miniature throne, the object represents a characteristic type of Russian silverwork of the last quarter of the 19th century. The body is conceived as an architectural chair with a rectangular base and a high, keel-shaped openwork back. The central field is decorated with symmetrical pierced foliate ornament, framed by bands of lozenge-shaped and circular piercings, geometric motifs and a crenellated border. The composition draws upon the forms of medieval Russian architecture and traditional wood carving. The silver surface was originally entirely gilt. The body is decorated in a trompe-l`œil technique imitating the construction and texture of a wooden chair. Engraved lines, knots and wood-grain patterns reproduce the appearance of individual wooden boards, particularly effectively rendered on the seat and lower section. This illusionistic treatment directly references traditional Russian wooden chair-form salt cellars.
ID: 103387-1788941723-163577
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