Early 20th century

RARE SILVER EROTIC MUSICAL BOX ITALY, 1930s

RARE SILVER EROTIC MUSICAL BOX ITALY, 1930s

An elegant silver musical box with an automatic mechanism, combining the functions of a cigarette case and a mechanical miniature scene. The rectangular case is crafted in 800 standard silver, featuring fine guilloché decoration and an ornamental border along the edges of the lid and body. The upper section opens to form a gilded cigarette tray, beneath which the musical mechanism is concealed.The interior is richly gilded and decorated with a relief composition depicting a pastoral landscape with architectural motifs and decorative elements inspired by Neorococo aesthetics. At the centre is a movable figurative scene showing a couple dressed in 18th century costumes, executed in polychrome metal against a dark contrasting ground. When the mechanism is wound, the scene animates to musical accompaniment, creating the effect of a theatrical miniature and emphasising the playful, gallant character of the object.The high artistic quality, mechanical complexity and the rarity of erotic subject matter in silver musical boxes make this piece an exceptional example of decorative and applied arts of the first half of the 20th century. A probable attribution points to the Italian silversmithing tradition of Sicily, with a possible connection to the circle of Palermo workshops specialising in refined interior accessories and objects of private use.Hallmarks: Italian assay mark “800”. Maker’s mark not identified, possibly lost or concealed beneath structural elements.Dimensions:Height: 3.2 cmWidth: 9.2 cmLength: 5.7 cmMaterial: 800 standard silver, gilding, mechanical musical movement, mixed metal elements.Condition: Good. Overall well preserved considering age. Minor signs of wear and superficial scratches. Gilding to the interior preserved. Mechanism in working order.Provenance: Private collection.

Silver dish

Coin. Silver ruble of 1897.

Coin. Silver ruble of 1897.

Painting

Sideboard with beautiful carvings

Sideboard with beautiful carvings

Silver award cup with engraving

Silver award cup with engraving

Porcelain figurine-vase Parrot

Porcelain figurine-vase Parrot

Silver plated metal utensil

Silver plated metal utensil

Silver spoons (4 pcs.)

Silver spoons (4 pcs.)

Doctor Kruger traveling cup for club matches between IRRB RTK

Doctor Kruger traveling cup for club matches between IRRB RTK

CRIMEAN LANDSCAPE WITH A SEASHORE AND CYPRESSES RUSSIA, 1920s–1930s

CRIMEAN LANDSCAPE WITH A SEASHORE AND CYPRESSES RUSSIA, 1920s–1930s

A refined Crimean landscape capturing the atmosphere of the southern coast on a clear summer day. The composition is structured around a gentle diagonal movement of the rocky shoreline, harmoniously balanced by the vertical accents of slender cypresses and the calm horizontal expanse of the sea. In the middle ground, a small house with a green roof is organically integrated into the natural setting, serving as both a compositional and chromatic focal point. In the distance, a panorama of mountain ranges unfolds in cool bluish-violet tones, dissolved within a luminous atmospheric perspective.Executed in a plein-air manner characteristic of Russian painting of the first third of the twentieth century, the work employs a free and confident brushstroke that avoids detailed delineation in favor of conveying the overall state of nature and the interplay of light, air, and space. The color scheme is built upon a subtle balance between the cool tones of the sea and mountains and the sun-bleached yellow-white and ochre hues of the coastal rocks, evoking the sensation of intense southern sunlight. The painting is marked by restrained harmony and a lyrical mood, free from decorative artifice or excessive expressiveness.By its painterly language, chromatic sensitivity, and overall atmosphere, the work relates to the tradition of Russian Impressionism and to the circle of professional artists active in Crimea during the 1920s–1930s, who continued the development of plein-air painting beyond academic and ideologically driven frameworks.Dimensions: 34 × 28 cm (visible); 48 × 43 cm (framed).Medium: Oil on canvas.Condition: Good. The canvas has been relined; the paint layer is stable, with minor signs of age.Provenance: Private collection.

Silver utensil with lid

Silver utensil with lid

Silver candlesticks, 2 pcs.

Silver candlesticks, 2 pcs.

Vase

Silver water pitcher

Silver water pitcher

Ceramic plate

Ceramic figure Girl with a goose

Ceramic figure Girl with a goose

Gold brooch Cameo

Gold brooch Cameo

Fireplace in Art Nouveau style. Latvia. Early 20th century.

Fireplace in Art Nouveau style. Latvia. Early 20th century.

A unique stove, decorated with artistic tiles made in Art Nouveau style. A magnificent image of style, warmth and animation of the home. The slender façade, assembled in classical proportions, carries the blissful freshness of a flowering field and the blossoming emblem of life in the cartouche of the entablature. The flanking corners of the acroteria violet refer us to the always youthful neo-Greek style. Tiles. Glazed ceramics. Latvia. Early 20th century.250X140X60cm.

Porcelain cache-pot

Porcelain cache-pot

Porcelain set

Ceramic vase

Gothic style desk

Gothic style desk

Beautiful display case

Beautiful display case

Porcelain vase

Glass vase Carl S Lambert

Glass vase Carl S Lambert

Revel. Staircase in Ekaterinental. Alexander Yakovlevich Kramarev (1886-1975)

Revel. Staircase in Ekaterinental. Alexander Yakovlevich Kramarev (1886-1975)

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