A gilt-bronze-mounted green serpentine marble brûle parfum, probably Russian late 18th century

in the form of an athénienne, the domed cover with foliate finial above a pierced neck cast with guilloche and flowerheads above an ovoid body supported by three addorsed ram's masks suspending chains terminating in hoof feet, the underside with a pinecone finial above a spiralling serpent, on a circular base with projecting corners mounted with a ribbon-twist and leaf-cast border

Very minor rubbing and pitting and a casting flaw to the gilt-bronze and there is a casting crack in the leaf-cast border on the base, but this does not detract from the piece. Good quality casting. Very minor miniscule chips here and there, but in overall very good condition. Unusual model.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Comparative Literature:
S.Eriksen, Early neo-Classicism in France, London, 1974, plate 370.

The elegant tripod form of the present lot, strongly referencing the Antique, was often adopted by designers during the Louis XVI and Empire periods. A design for an athénienne or tripod incense burner was published in France by J.J. Flipart in 1765 in an engraving entitled La Vertueuse Athénienne. This was inspired by a painting of 1763 by Joseph-Marie Vien which had been exhibited at the Salon. It depicted a bowl raised on slender hoof legs and surmounted by rams' heads-very similar to the offered lot and is illustrated in Eriksen, op. cit., plate 370, reproduced here in fig.1. 

At first sight this piece would appear to be French but closed examination of its construction and design indicate that it is probably of Russian origin. This brûle parfum demonstrates the extent to which the Russian bronziers had assimilated from France the goût etrusque in the late 18th century, popularised by the Russian influential architect-designer Andrei Voronikhin (1759-1814).

The style of this piece is very much in the manner of the celebrated French bronzier Pierre Gouthière, an example of a related tripod vase with similar mounts by him is in the Royal Collection, supplied originally by the marchand-mercier Dominique Daguerre to George IV for Carlton House in the late 1780's or early 1790's.  

Andrei Voronikhin (1759-1814):
Voronikhin was born into a family of serfs working on the estates of Count Stroganoff. He trained in painting in the workshop of Gabriel Yushkova, where he drew the attention of the Count who sent him to train in Moscow. Voronikhin was liberated in 1785 and for the next several years studied in France and in Switzerland. Count Stroganoff was one of Voronikhin's most important patrons; he commissioned him to finish the interiors of the Stroganoff Palace on the Nevskky Prospect, as well as other Stroganoff residences. Voronikhin also built the Kazan Cathedral and worked with Brenna at Pavlovsk.