Description
A LARGE RUSSIAN KOLYVAN JASPER TAZZA
Imperial Lapidary Factory, Ekaterinburg, 1893
A very rare tazza elaborately carved in neoclassical style from Kolyvan jasper, the bowl with a relief frieze of roses below a stiff leaf border,
the fluted stem and spreading foot with acanthus and lotus borders, the top of the base inscribed in Russian:
“The Imperial Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory 1893. Director V. Mostovenko”
Height 20 in. (51 cm), diameter 11 in. (28 cm)
PROVENANCE:
Sotheby’s New York, 09 June 2014, lot 254
Property from a private collection, Pennsylvania
CONDITION:
A few very minor chips to jasper. Very good condition.
NOTE:
A pair of smaller and less elaborately carved but comparable Russian jasper tazza from the Collection of Suzanne Saperstein was sold for $290,000 at Sotheby’s New York, 19 April 2012, lot 17
Vasily Mostovenko became general manager of the Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory in 1885 at the age of thirty-six. At the time, the factory was in a dilapidated state with collapsed flooring and worn-out machines and tools. Mostovenko managed to improve working conditions and production process. Reopening the school for drawing and modeling contributed to introduction of new stylistic elements, and the Ekaterinburg Lapidary Factory soon became a symbol of national pride. At the 1900 Paris exhibition, the Russian stone-carving industry was represented by a magnificent square meter mosaic map of France for which Mostovenko was decorated with the Knight Commander Cross of the Legion of Honor.
This tazza is a very fine example of Russian craftsmanship and displays the artisans’ great skill at cutting and polishing rare stones and marbles.
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Item Nr. 5656 (Russian jasper tazza)
