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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
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A very fine and elegant Russian ormolu and granite gueridon, late 18th century, in the manner of Andrei Voronikhin and possibly by Friedrich Bergenfeldt. The two tiers each fluted frieze, the upper with fruiting corn boss, the lower with half-roundels, on beaded and fluted legs headed by ram's masks and on hoof feet joined by concave stretchers, centred by a finial, inscribed 'R499' to underside. Height 73cm, diameter 58cm. Provenance: The French Rothschilds, posibly Baron Alphonse de Rothschild (1827-1905) for the Hôtel Saint-Florentin, Paris. Baronne Eugène de Rothschild, sold Christie's London,6. December 1979, lot 73. Anonymous sale, Christie's London, 3 December 1981, lot 80 This elegant and finely-chased guéridon, with its distinctive demi-lunette gallery to the lower tier, Relates to a small group of guéridons almost certainly designed by the celebrated architect and ornamentiste Andrei Voronikhin (1759-1814). These may possibly have been executed by Friedrich Bergenfeldt, probably the finest bronzier active in St. Petersburg circa 1800. Voronikhin and Bergenfeldt collaborated on numerous occasions, in particular at Pavlovsk, which was redecorated to the designs of the former after 1803 fire. The group of guéridons, all with lions-masks as opposed to the ram’s masks on this model, have largely remained in various Imperial palaces in St. Petersburg. |