A gilt-metal and champlevé enamel officer’s gorget of the Preobrazhensky Regiment of the Imperial Russian Garde, Russia, circa 1883

The Preobrazhensky Guard was renowned for being one of the oldest and most elite of all Imperial Russian Army Guards. It was officially created by Emperor Peter I in 1687. Its involvement in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), the Patriotic War (1812) and the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878) earnt the Preobrazhensky its notable reputation. Later, it served as the main supporter and body-guard of Catherine the Great during her coup to usurp the throne from her husband Peter III.

From the 18th century, it was general practice that young male aristocrats were appointed to the Preobrazhensky Guard as a signifier of their and their family’s loyalty to the sovereign – some families even registered their sons with the Guard immediately after their birth. Eventually, it became tradition for members of the same family to serve in the same regiments within the Guard. Due to the elite status of its members, the Guard was especially entwined with the politics of the empire. Furthermore, members of the Preobrazhensky were notorious for both hosting and participating in wild parties, heavy drinking and gambling. Indeed, ‘it was not uncommon for the Guards officers to play cards all night and not sit down to dinner with champagne until five or six in the morning’ (Pushkin, p. 422).

The uniform of the Preobrazhensky was the same dark green of the Infantry of the Imperial Guard. It differed, however, in its addition of red facings within thin white piping. Soldiers bore the emperor’s monogram on their shoulder straps and officers on their epaulettes. A strip of material was also worn across the body and ornamented with a gorget, such as in the present lot. This feature was added to the uniform of officers in 1883 to pay tribute to the regiment’s overall distinction. This uniform had been documented on porcelain plates from the Military Service, created under the reign of Nicholas I. For one such lot, which features soldiers of the Preobrazhensky regiment, with one wearing such a gorget, please see lot 528 from Sotheby's previous sale of Russian Works of Art, Fabergé & Icons on 30 November 2021, which sold for £37,800. For a variation of this gorget in the John Mollo Collection, please see John Mollo, Military Fashion, London 1972, inv. 48 (illustrated on the dust cover).

References            

A.S. Pushkin, Pikovaia Dama (The Queen of Spades), New York, 1944

O. Allen, ‘The Imperial Russian Army Officer’ in Political Science Quarterly, The Academy of Political Science, Vol. 76, No. 4 (Dec., 1961), pp. 576-592