299 - IMPORTANT VERMEIL TEA AND COFFEE SET BELONGING TO GRAND DUCHESS OLGA NIKOLAEVNA OF RUSSIA (1822–1892)

IMPORTANT VERMEIL TEA AND COFFEE SET BELONGING TO GRAND DUCHESS OLGA NIKOLAEVNA OF RUSSIA (1822–1892) An important silver tea and coffee service, 84 zolotniks (875 ‰), fully gilded, consisting of a monumental hot-water fountain (samovar), a coffee pot, a teapot, a lidded sugar bowl, a milk jug, a tea strainer, sugar tongs, and a large oval tray. In the neoclassical style, the shaped pieces feature ovoid or baluster-shaped bodies resting on fluted pedestals, enriched with abundant chiseled, repoussé, and applied decoration of water leaves, ovals, rows of pearls, scrollwork, and generous garlands of fruit. The handles are spectacularly shaped as figures of Psyche with butterfly wings, while the knobs, spouts, and fasteners are rendered in the same exceptionally rich antique-inspired style, featuring grotesque mascarons, chimera heads, and lion’s paw feet. The main pieces are engraved on one side with the intertwined Cyrillic initials ОН of Olga Nikolaevna, placed beneath the imperial crown, and on the opposite side with the imperial double-headed eagle of Russia. The tray is monogrammed only; the tea strainer and sugar tongs bear no monogram. Silversmiths Carl Johann Tegelsten (1798–1852) and Henrik August Lång (1797–1882), for Nicholls & Plincke. Imperial Russia, Saint Petersburg, 1840 – Hot-water dispenser (samovar): Saint Petersburg city hallmark; assayer’s mark of Dmitri Ilyich Tverskoy and date 1840; fineness 84 zolotniks; goldsmith’s mark of Carl Johann Tegelsten. Signed “TEGELSTEN” in full beneath the removable ember tray. Height: 57 cm - Width: 31.5 cm - Approximate gross weight: 8,000 g. – Coffee pot: Saint Petersburg, hallmark of assayer Dmitri Ilyich Tverskoy and date 1840, 84 zolotniks; hallmark of silversmith Carl Johann Tegelsten. Height: 34 cm - Gross weight: 2,108 g. – Coffee pot: Same hallmarks. Height: 16.5 cm - Gross weight: 1,526 g. – Lidded sugar bowl: Same hallmarks. Height: 15 cm. - Net weight: 1,292 g. – Milk jug: Same hallmarks. Height: 17 cm - Net weight: 465 g. – Tea strainer: Same hallmarks. Length: 18 cm - Net weight: 177 g. – Sugar tongs (dented): Same hallmarks. Length: 16 cm - Net weight: 200 g. – Large oval tray: Saint Petersburg; hallmark of assayer Dmitri Ilyich Tverskoy and date 18(40); fineness 84 zolotniks; hallmark of silversmith Henrik August Lång and N&P mark of Nicholls & Plincke. Engraved on the reverse: “No. 50.” Width: 74 cm - Depth: 44 cm - Approximate net weight: 4,000 g. Approximate total gross weight: 17,768 g. (Minor visible damage and missing pieces, occasional wear and deformation; the sugar tongs are broken into three pieces.) Provenance: – Most likely an imperial commission by Tsar Nicholas I of Russia for the dowry of his daughter, Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna – Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna of Russia (1822–1892), who married the future King Charles I of Württemberg (1823–1891) in 1846. – Private collection. Bibliography: – *The Golden Treasure Trove of the Russian Museum*, State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg, 1998, nos. 193–201, ill. III.149, for Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna’s vermeil tea and coffee service, Tegelsten by Nicholls & Plincke, 1839. Description: This service represents one of the most brilliant periods of Russian goldsmithing during the reign of Tsar Nicholas I (1796–1855). Given its scale, the profusion of its decoration, and the monumental nature of its fountain, it far exceeds the scope of a domestic service and belongs to the realm of ceremonial silverwork. Its stylistic vocabulary is that of late Russian Classicism, still deeply rooted in Antiquity and the Empire style: urn- or vase-shaped bodies, fluted pedestals, water leaves, ovals, rows of pearls, and heavy garlands of fruit punctuate the various pieces. On the handles appear winged female figures evoking Psyche, whose butterfly wings and slender silhouettes transform the functional elements into veritable miniature sculptures. The abundance of applied ornamentation contrasts with the large polished surfaces of the vermeil, left unadorned to accommodate the imperial monogram. This monogram unambiguously identifies the recipient: the intertwined Cyrillic letters ОН, standing for Olga Nikolaevna, are placed beneath the imperial crown, while the double-headed eagle of Russia adorns the opposite side of the main pieces. Olga Nikolaevna (1822–1892), the second daughter of Emperor Nicholas I and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, did not marry Crown Prince Charles of Württemberg until 1846. However, the date “1840” inscribed on the set is by no means premature.