865/​312

Russian silver bust depicting Tsaritsa Maria Feodorovna of Russia (1847–1928). The Empress is portrayed with hairdos, low-cut bodice and free-standing collar, garnished with laces, bows and a flower bouquet, on a round laurel wreath base. Workmaster Valentin Ignatevich Sasikov, signed and dated M. Chighov 1877 (in Cyrillic), marked with the Imperial Warrant as purveyor to the Imperial Russian Court, marked with a female head as purveyor to an Imperial Russian Grand Ducal Court, St. Petersburg town mark, 84 standard. Weight c. 1,954 gr. H. 30 cm.

Tsaritsa Maria Feodorovna is a wellknown royal personality - daughter of Christian IX and Queen Louise of Denmark and married in 1866 with Tsarevich Alexander, later Tsar Alexander III of Russia. She was known for her beauty, kindness, humanitarian interests and initiatives to support Danish-Russian business. After the Russian revolution 1917 the tsaritsa left for Denmark, where she lived in exile until her death.

Sasikov was one of the most famous silver companies in Russia, and purveyor to the Imperial Russian Court from 1837. The company was founded 1793 by Pavel Feodorovich Sasikov. After his death c. 1830, his son Ignati Pavlovich Sasikov (1793–1868) took over the business and also opened a branch in St. Petersburg 1842. His son, Valentin Ignatevich Sasikov, became responsible for this branch after his father's death, and the bust of Tsaritsa Maria Feodorovna is executed during his time of leadership. It is truly an exclusive and rare work from Sasikov.

Provenance: Seller's Danish aunt, who was married to an antique dealer named Rasmussen in Copenhagen. The bust belonged to the aunt back to the 1940s, where she was a widow.

Condition

Condition report on request.

Auction

Russian + varia & furniture, 2 June 2016

Category

Silver ▸ Russia

Estimate

250,000–300,000 DKK

Sold

Price realised

240,000 DKK