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.

Pair of jugs in Art Nouveau style.

Pair of jugs in Art Nouveau style.

Silver tobacco chest with gilding

Silver tobacco chest with gilding

Silver cigarette holder

Silver cigarette holder

Silver cigarette holder with gold inlays

Silver cigarette holder with gold inlays

Salt cellars with spoons.

Salt cellars with spoons.

Decorative dish Flowers. Gardner factory, Russia, 19th century.

Decorative dish Flowers. Gardner factory, Russia, 19th century.

WATER LILIES (NYMPHAEAS) D.A. LISHCHENKO, 1925

WATER LILIES (NYMPHAEAS) D.A. LISHCHENKO, 1925

Coffee service. 1900

Coffee service. 1900

Eight-candle chandelier in the Rococo style. France. Early 20th century.

Eight-candle chandelier in the Rococo style. France. Early 20th century.

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.

Lorgnette with leather case

Lorgnette with leather case

Pocket watch holder. Early 20th century.

Pocket watch holder. Early 20th century.

RUSSIAN SILVER SUGAR BOWL IN CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL RUSSIA, MOSCOW, 1896-1908

RUSSIAN SILVER SUGAR BOWL IN CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL RUSSIA, MOSCOW, 1896-1908

MAJOLICA JARDINIÈRE IN THE FORM OF A BOAT WITH GRIFFINS

MAJOLICA JARDINIÈRE IN THE FORM OF A BOAT WITH GRIFFINS

Amethyst figurine Swan

Amethyst figurine Swan

Porcelain figure Pantera

Porcelain figure Pantera

Colored crystal fruit bowl with silver finish

Colored crystal fruit bowl with silver finish

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 composition Musicians

Porcelain composition Musicians

LUIS GARCÍA OLIVER. Still life with apples.

LUIS GARCÍA OLIVER. Still life with apples.

Art Nouveau cabinet

Art Nouveau cabinet

Porcelain figurine A woman who plays with the ball

Porcelain figurine A woman who plays with the ball

Decorative porcelain plate Riga

Decorative porcelain plate Riga

Porcelain figurine Goat

Porcelain figurine Goat

SILVER TABLE SERVICE BY G. KLINGERT RUSSIA, MOSCOW, 1908–1917

SILVER TABLE SERVICE BY G. KLINGERT RUSSIA, MOSCOW, 1908–1917

Porcelain decorative plate Fish

Porcelain decorative plate Fish

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Wooden console with carved cupids.

Wooden console with carved cupids.

Porcelain Bolonka based on Kuznetsovs model.

Porcelain Bolonka based on Kuznetsovs model.

Girl with a tambourine. OSWALD LORENZ

Girl with a tambourine. OSWALD LORENZ

LARGE VASE WITH BRONZE MOUNTS AND PAINTED DECORATION “THE TRIUMPH OF VENUS” FRANCE, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY

LARGE VASE WITH BRONZE MOUNTS AND PAINTED DECORATION “THE TRIUMPH OF VENUS” FRANCE, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY

Russian silver kovsh

Russian silver kovsh

Winter Landscape. River Bank in Winter. Boris Bessonov (1862-1934)

Winter Landscape. River Bank in Winter. Boris Bessonov (1862-1934)

Pair of bronze sconces in the Empire style.

Pair of bronze sconces in the Empire style.

Meissen porcelain dish.

Meissen porcelain dish.

Lorgnette with leather case

Lorgnette with leather case

Hammer and Sickle

Hammer and Sickle

Painting Russian Troika.

Painting Russian Troika.

Franz IFFLAND oversized sculpture blacksmith

Franz IFFLAND oversized sculpture blacksmith

Bronze figure Russian dancer. Paul PHILIPPE 1920

Bronze figure Russian dancer. Paul PHILIPPE 1920

Golden powder box. Violettes Paris. Around 1860.

Golden powder box. Violettes Paris. Around 1860.

Silver Ruble 1877. Russia - Alexander II.

Silver Ruble 1877. Russia - Alexander II.

Tenis Grasis. Stained glass sketch. Harvest.

Tenis Grasis. Stained glass sketch. Harvest.

The White Villa

The White Villa