Attributed to Yacov Samarin

This pair of gilt-bronze and malachite candlesticks are attributed Yakov Samarin whose artistic bronze workshop operated out of Moscow in the 1830’s. The decorative effect on the stem of these candlesticks was created by knurling, a technique in which a steel roller with incised patterns is pressed onto an objects surface. Malachite, used here for the base, was an exceptionally expensive material that became fashionable among the Russian elite in the 1830’s-1850’s. A similar example from the workshop of Yakov Samarin, featuring bands of knurling with floral motifs, can be found in the State History museum, Moscow, see Gaydamak A., Russian Empire, Moscow, 2000, p.89. Another further comparative example can be seen in Sychev I., The Russian Chandelier 1760-1830, St.Petersburg 2003, pp.189-190. A related pair in the manner of Yakov Samarin was sold at Christies, London, 23 November 2008, lot 63.