Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons
Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons
An Important Swiss Collection (lots 65, 73-96, 171-172, 195-199, 231-234, 253)
A gold and enamel Order of St Anne, Second Class, circa 1810-20
Lot Closed
June 9, 02:26 PM GMT
Estimate
8,000 - 12,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
An Important Swiss Collection (lots 65, 73-96, 171-172, 195-199, 231-234, 253)
A gold and enamel Order of St Anne, Second Class, circa 1810-20
In gold, crystal and pastes, with central oval enamelled medallion of the saint standing; the four limbs of the badge each set with red crystal and terminating with three pastes, a larger pear-shaped paste in each angle, unmarked, with length of red sash ribbon, apparently unmarked
50mm by 42mm
Acquired at the above sale by the family of the present owner
The Sandars Collection of Imperial Russian Orders
The monumental collection of Orders and Decorations of Paul Sandars Sr was inspired by a gift from his son of a 4th class Badge of St Stanislaus Badge, that he acquired on a visit to Paris. Sandars, who had grown up and trained as a musician in Moscow, had relocated to Germany, then Paris, and finally New York following the occupation of France in 1943, where he entered the world of perfumery. His son’s gift of the St Stanislaus Badge provoked such excitement in Sandars that he began researching the history of the Russian Order. His studies evoked feelings of nostalgia for his homeland and prompted him to amass the largest private collection Russian Orders and Decorations at the time. His linguistic acuity facilitated his collecting as he was able not just to research in Russian, but also to liaise with international curators, collectors and dealers. Upon his death, Sandars’s collection comprised a staggering 650 pieces, of which notable pieces from the present collection formed part (lots 7, 73, 75, 76, 78, 80-82, 85 and 89).