Robert Robertovich Bakh (1859-1933), A Russian Bronze of a Bison from the Byelovezhskaya Forest

very attractive patina and detail
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This bronze magnificently depicts one of the many European bison (zubr) inhabiting the vast primeval forest of Byelovezhskaya (Bialowieza), one of the favorite hunting grounds of both the Polish kings and Russian emperors. It was one of the preferred holiday spots of Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II; Nicholas and his family vacationed there in 1897, 1900, 1903, 1906, and 1912. Alexander III commissioned a new palace for the comfort of his family and retinue, but it was not finished until 1894. The design of this bronze was probably intended for the interior of the new palace, which was decorated with numerous pieces recalling successful hunts and the majestic animals roaming the park. While the palace and most of the outbuildings were destroyed during World War II, bison still roam the Byelovezhskaya forest. On the palace and the imperial hunts, see Svetlana Chestnykh and Karen Kettering, Belovezh. Tsarskaia rezidentsiia, Warsaw, 2009. For an 1897 cast iron version of this design now in the State Russian Museum, see L.P. Shaposhnikova, Skulptura XVIII-nachalo XX veka, Leningrad, 1988, p. 29, no. 91.