Russian Imperial Silver Enameled Perfume Bottle, Pavel Ovchinnikov

Description

The bell-shaped bottle bears hallmarks of the Imperial Double-headed Eagle, the Cyrillic initials for the master jeweler, Pavel Ovchinnikov, and the Kokoshnik for 84 silver, Moscow. The surface is covered with polychrome patterns using the cloisonné enamel technique. Garnet cabochons, each weighing nearly 1 ct., grace the sides of the lid. The design is almost identical to a charka (circa 1899-1908) featured on Sotheby’s.

Provenance and Condition: Purchased from V. N. Collectible, who obtained the piece from Antique Arena Inc. (Brooklyn). Antique Arena obtained the piece from a private collection in New York. The condition is exceptional, as shown in the photos; lid is tight; no signs of damage.

Overall Size: Nearly 1-1/2 inches wide by 3 inches from base to top of lid. Weight: 40.5 g.

About Pavel Ovchinnikov: Pavel Ovchinnokov (in Russian: Павел Акимович Овчинников) was among the most famous Russian silversmiths of his time, ranking with the likes of Faberge.

Born in a Moscow neighborhood in 1830, the son of a slave named Akim Ovchinnikov, Pavel was sent by Prince Dimitri Volkonski to study in Moscow proper, where he was apprenticed in a jewelry shop. He gained his freedom in 1850 and, three years later, founded his own workshop. Barely a decade later – in 1865 – he was appointed Court supplier to the future Tzar Alexander III, a position he proudly held for 40 years. His works were exhibited at the Pan-Russian manufacturing exhibition in 1865, where he won the gold medal, and at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867. A few years later, he was appointed as a court supplier by Vittorio Emanuele II (the king of Italy) and by Christian IX (the king of Denmark).

In 1873, Ovchinnikov opened a branch in St. Petersburg, and by 1881, over three hundred people were working for the firm. Recognizing the importance of education, he founded a professional school at his factory for training artists and craftsmen in silverware and jewelry.

Pavel died in 1888, and his sons (Mikhail, Alexander, Pavel, and Nikolai) managed the firm until 1917 when it ceased operations because of the outbreak of the Russian Revolution.

Ovchinnikov is especially famous for his exquisite enamel works, which drew on different processing techniques (cloisonné, champlevé, and plique-à-jour).

Today, his works remain highly collectible and are represented in the most important international museums and royal collections.

Read more about Pavel Ovchinnokov on Sotheby’s HERE, or on Russia Beyond HERE.

Value: Learn more about values for works by Ovchinnokov and his firm HERE. While many pieces reach even higher values, a February 2024 article in Antiques and the Arts featured a silver gilt and cloisonné enamel kovsh of similar style by the firm, circa 1908-1917, with a hammer price of $17,920.