A PAIR OF IMPORTANT RUSSIAN CUT GLASS VASES WITH GILT BRONZE MOUNTS, IMPERIAL GLASSWORKS, ST. PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1825 |

of baluster form with flared socle and collar, the glass bodies cut in pattern of interlocking leaves between bands of diamond faceting, the long necks cut with a succession of bands and mounted with a gilt bronze ring, flanked by scrolling foliate handles terminating with a pair of Bacchic masks, on a square stepped base applied with a palm-leaf border

Overall excellent condition; some small wear and oxidation to gilt bronze mounts consistent with age and handling. Sold with an official authentication letter issued by the State Russian Museum dated December 5, 2006, and a letter from T.A. Malinina, former curator of Russian glass at the Hermitage
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.

The distinctive three-register design of the glass bodies is a hallmark of the designs of architect and artist Ivan Alekseevich Ivanov who had begun to create new designs for the Imperial Glassworks in 1815. The strong contrast of foliate arabesques within varying bands of strict geometric ornament was combined with Neoclassical gilt bronze fittings to ornament the new interiors being built in St. Petersburg after the conclusion of the Napoleonic Wars.
According to the inventory in the factory archives, such vases were made for Christmas and Easter holiday gifts for the Imperial family, contributions made on behalf of the family to various charity exhibitions and auctions, and as  special works to be exhibited at the All-Russian and, later, international exhibitions of Arts and Trades. It has been suggested that each pair was produced in one or two examples. An identical vase is presently in the collection of the State Historical Museum, see A. Gaydamak, Russian Empire Style, Moscow-Paris, 2000, p. 135. Another example from a Russian private collection appears in Dekorativno-prikladnoe iskusstvo. Chastnye sobraniia Sankt-Peterburga, St. Petersburg, 1995, p. 82.