A FINE NEOCLASSICAL PARCEL GILT ENAMELLED AND DIAMOND SET SILVER CASE AND COVER

Description:

Workshop of P. Karl Fabergé, Moscow, circa 1900
7,5 x 14,7 x 11,3 cm
Rectangular body on three bun feet with hinged lid and gilt interior. On the front a silver appliqué of crossed arrows with a laurel wreath and a central enamel square and diamond rose. The lid is finely decorated with a central, dark blue enamelled round medallion. This is set with three crossed arrows and a bow and with a large oval diamond rose. Framed by a laurel wreath, fluttering ribbons and eight fields decorated with light blue translucent enamel on a guilloché background. Hallmarks on the bottom: Kokoshnik mark with Cyrillic monogram IL for master craftsman Ivan Lebedkin, and ‘84’ Zolotink. Company stamp ‘K. Fabergé’ in Cyrillic with purveyor to the court stamp (imperial double eagle), hallmarked on the lid with kokoshnik mark and Fabergé stamp. Total weight approx. 657g. Good condition, min. wear.
In a private Polish collection for three generations
With expertise from Dr Adam Szymanski, art historian, specialist in Russian applied art and Fabergé expert, Opole, in Polish. A translation into German and English is available - without guarantee and without warranty of correct translation.
Regarding the depiction of the arrows with the bow and their possible provenance, it states: "The casket has interesting symbolism. The bow and arrows decorating it have two layers of meaning. The first layer of meaning is related to the property of the Branicki princes in Biała Cerkiew and the ‘Aleksandria’ palace and park complex. The bow and three arrows in the medallion on the lid of the casket are symbols referring to the coat of arms of the estates and the town of Biała Cerkiew, which in 1900 belonged to Princess Maria Aniela Branicka, née Sapiecha. It is the historical coat of arms of Biała Cerkiew, approved in 1620.
The second symbolic layer is the meaning of the bow and arrows, which are an ancient Greco-Roman symbol of love. The bow is an attribute of Cupid, whose arrows aroused love in those who were hit by them. In the sentimental 19th century, in the world of the wealthy Russian aristocracy, love symbolism was very popular and widely used. In the ‘Alexandria’ park, among the many pavilions, there were several corners dedicated to love, where statues of Aphrodite and Cupid were located.
The most important symbolic layer of the box's decoration is related to the Branicki family's estate in Biała Cerkiew and the Alexandria Park. It is a private work associated with an extraordinary person, Princess Maria Aniela Branicka, and her favorite estate."
According to ‘family statements’, there are further details regarding the provenance: "Research into the history of the casket has linked it to Princess Maria Aniela Branicka, née Sapiecha-Różańska. The princess was the wife of Count Władysław Michał Branicki, heir to the Biała Cerkiew estate, leader of the nobility of the Vasylkiv district and chamberlain of the imperial court. Through their close contacts with the court in St. Petersburg, the Branicki family surrounded themselves with Russian art and crafts. (...) According to family records, in 1906 or later, but no later than 1917, the casket was given to Princess Róża Paulina Gabriela Radziwiłł and Prince Ludwik Rudolf Światopełk-Czetwertyński. It may have been a wedding gift on the occasion of their marriage in Rome in 1906. The subsequent fate of the artefact could not be determined. Prince Światopełk-Czetwertyński died in 1941 during the war, while Princess Róża Paulina Gabriela Światopełk-Czetwertyńska, née Radziwiłł, died in 1949