£200,000 TABLE NEVER BEFORE SEEN AT AUCTION
A striking, circular table originally placed in the Golden Drawing Room in the Winter Palace, the main residence of the Russian Imperial family in St. Petersburg, will be sold in the Russian Sale at Bonhams New Bond Street on 1st December. Estimated at £150,000 - £200,000, the intricate design and range of materials, from coral to onyx and turquoise, reflects the legendary opulence of the Russian Empire.
The table was originally commissioned as a gift for the Empress Alexandra, the wife of Tsar Nicholas I and the table became part of the original furnishing of the Imperial Winter Palace. The table was then placed within the Golden drawing room, which was used by the future Empress Maria Aleksandrovna, and was renowned as the most lavishly decorated room in her personal suite. The Golden Drawing Room was used for private receptions and Christmas celebrations for the Imperial family.
The storming of the Winter Palace became an iconic symbol of the Russian Revolution. In the late 1920s many private rooms of the Imperial family were stripped of their original furnishings and anything else that might remind the public about Russia’s Imperial past. Most of the furnishings, including the table, were sold through Antikvariat, which was a state-run commission shop that catered to foreigners and diplomats. The table ultimately ended up in Germany.
Today the Golden Drawing room in the Winter Palace houses part of the Hermitage museum collection. Though the room has retained its original décor, few of its original furnishings have survived.
Yelena Harbick, Director of Russian Fine and Decorative Arts comments: “Items from former Russian Imperial palaces are incredibly rare, and few come with such remarkably documented provenance. This table is an exceptional opportunity for international collectors to not only acquire a Russian decorative masterpiece, but to procure their very own piece of Russian history.”
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further five throughout the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Boston in the USA; Toronto, Canada; and France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 27 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas. By the end of 2009, Bonhams had become UK market leaders in ten key specialist collecting areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments, go to www.bonhams.com
