Russian Silver Vase With A Crystal Bowl, The Firm Of Ignaty Sazikov Russia

A magnificent large-scale fruit vase executed in St Petersburg in 1870 by the prestigious firm of Ignaty Sazikov, official purveyor to the Imperial Court. The object presents a harmonious synthesis of a substantial silver structure and a removable crystal bowl, exemplifying the highest level of artistic and technical mastery achieved by Russian silversmiths in the second half of the nineteenth century. The silver body is conceived in a fully developed Neo-Rococo manner, distinguished by fluid contours and richly modeled naturalistic ornament. The openwork pedestal is decorated with elaborate pierced foliage motifs and rests on four elegantly curved feet, lending visual lightness to the substantial composition. The central section is enriched with cartouches and shields bearing engraved symbols, presumably of heraldic character. The massive side handles are sculpted in the form of acanthus leaves, gracefully extending into scrolling elements that frame the bowl. The upper section is fitted with an oval crystal bowl featuring spiral cutting and radiating facets, producing a striking play of light and emphasizing the clarity and purity of the material. This type of cutting is characteristic of the finest St Petersburg glass workshops and reflects close collaboration with the Imperial Glass Factory. Marks: Complete firm's mark beneath the Imperial double-headed eagle - "SAZIKOV"; St Petersburg assay mark dated "1870" with the initials "A.M." of the assayer Alexander Mitin (1842-1877); State silver mark "84" zolotniki with the city emblem of St Petersburg. Dimensions: Length approx. 45 cm., height 21 cm.Weight: 1265 g (silver part).Condition: Good. Silver with a fine age patina. Minor signs of use. The crystal bowl is free from chips and cracks.Provenance: Private collection.

he firm of Ignaty Sazikov occupies an exceptional position in the history of Russian silver and jewelry art of the nineteenth century and is rightly regarded as one of the principal centers of the St Petersburg silver school. Founded in the first half of the century, Sazikov's workshop had already reached a level by the 1840s and 1850s that enabled it to become an official supplier to the Imperial Court. This prestigious status testified not only to the highest degree of state confidence but also to the firm's impeccable artistic and technical standards. The firm's works were widely employed in the ceremonial interiors of imperial residences and in the homes of the highest aristocracy. Silver vases, candelabra, tableware and decorative objects by Sazikov were frequently commissioned for official receptions, jubilee celebrations and diplomatic gifts, where objects of decorative art fulfilled an important representative function. The second half of the nineteenth century marked a period of active development of Historicism and Neo-Rococo in Russian art. A conscious reinterpretation of eighteenth-century forms, adapted to academic principles and contemporary taste, led to increasingly complex modeling and rich ornamentation. The combination of high-grade silver with finely cut crystal reflects the characteristic St Petersburg practice of collaboration between silversmiths and glass manufacturers, above all the Imperial Glass Factory. Today, such vases are preserved in museum collections and are regarded as characteristic examples of late Historicism, illustrating the synthesis of Western European stylistic influences and national artistic tradition.