21 - NICOLS & PLINKE

NICOLS & PLINKE SCULPTURAL MINIATURE “WOODCUTTER”. NICHOLS & PLINKE RUSSIA, ST PETERSBURG, SECOND HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY. An expressive cabinet sculptural composition created in St Petersburg in the workshop of Nichols & Plinke, executed in silver with gilding and mounted on a polished lapis lazuli base. The composition depicts a woodcutter at the moment of chopping a tree. The figure is presented in a dynamic pose with a raised axe, conveying the tension of physical labour. The sculptor carefully rendered the characteristic image of a Russian peasant: a long belted shirt, boots, a beard and expressive facial features. The scene unfolds in a forest setting. The central element of the composition is a tree with finely modelled bark and a crown formed by sculpturally rendered leaves and cones. At the base of the tree lie the personal belongings of the character, a hat, cloak and travel bag, reinforcing the narrative character of the scene. The contrast between the deep blue lapis lazuli and the gilded silver gives the composition a striking decorative presence typical of the artistic productions of St Petersburg workshops in the second half of the 19th century. Marks: “PK” in a rectangular cartouche corresponding to the mark of the Nichols & Plinke workshop; assay mark with the standard “84”; city assay mark of St Petersburg. Dimensions: Height 13 cm; width 13 cm; depth 8 cm. Weight: Gross 576 g. Condition: Good. Gilding even. Minor traces of natural age. Lapis lazuli base without chips or cracks. Provenance: Private collection. Width: 13cm, Height: 13cm, Depth: 8cm, Weight: 0.576kg, Condition: Good, Material: Lapis lazuli, Silver 84, ID: ID-ANTQ-16252