Ellis Finch
Head of Knightsbridge Silver Department
Lot 22*
A monumental Russian silver soup tureen Georg Friedrich Pomo, St. Petersburg, 1811, marked on the pedestal and circular base/platform, 84 standard
17 November 2021, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£20,000 - £30,000
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A monumental Russian silver soup tureen
Georg Friedrich Pomo, St. Petersburg, 1811, marked on the pedestal and circular base/platform, 84 standard
Of circular form, the cover with finial of eagle surveying cupid's attributes, gently flaring from ribbon-bound laurel band, further engraved with leaf scroll and vitruvian scroll bands within a narrow applied engine-turned border, the bowl flanked by upswept scroll handles with leaf junctions below, the stepped body with applied vegetation emanating from mandrakes tapering to foot affixed to circular base/platform surmounting four acorn feet, the surface decorated with foliate bands and further enriched with engraved stiff leaf and scrolling motifs and anthemions, only fully marked on the pedestal and the circular base/platform, lid and body apparently unmarked but with palace-style inventory number "1" stamped repeated throughout,
the bowl containing a removable gilded metal liner, height 43cm, length handle to handle 50.5cm, diameter of base 39cm, weight 355oz.
Of circular form, the cover with finial of eagle surveying cupid's attributes, gently flaring from ribbon-bound laurel band, further engraved with leaf scroll and vitruvian scroll bands within a narrow applied engine-turned border, the bowl flanked by upswept scroll handles with leaf junctions below, the stepped body with applied vegetation emanating from mandrakes tapering to foot affixed to circular base/platform surmounting four acorn feet, the surface decorated with foliate bands and further enriched with engraved stiff leaf and scrolling motifs and anthemions, only fully marked on the pedestal and the circular base/platform, lid and body apparently unmarked but with palace-style inventory number "1" stamped repeated throughout,
the bowl containing a removable gilded metal liner, height 43cm, length handle to handle 50.5cm, diameter of base 39cm, weight 355oz.
Footnotes
This impressing soup tureen is a rare example of early 19th century Petersburg silver distinguished by its large scale and fine quality. Stylistically, the tureen's ornament is reminiscent of the earlier Saltykoff (Saltikov) service created by the French master Antoine Boullier 1782-1784 and included in Baron de Foelkersam's 1907 inventory (plate 42). The proposed lot is likely to have been made for the dowry of Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna by an acclaimed Petersburg maker well-versed in the Neo-Classicism favoured at Court.
Georg Friedrich Pomo (Pameau) (active 1787 - c.1825) was a prominent silversmith: born in St. Petersburg and apprenticed to his Austrian father, Herman Friedrich Pomo, Georg (sometimes Egor) became a master in 1797 and remained active until at least 1825. Although few examples of his output survive, we know that he completed a number of prestigious orders for the Russian Imperial Court preserved in the Kremlin Armoury, the Hermitage Museum and elsewhere. Among these are herald's staffs for the Russian orders of Alexander Nevsky, St. Anne and St. Catherine circa 1797, an impressive desk set gifted by St. Petersburg merchants to Alexander I on the occasion of his coronation in 1801 and a silver dowry service for Grand Duchess Ekaterina Pavlovna in 1809.
Following further Imperial commissions, Pomo was entrusted with a monumental table service for the dowry of Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna (1795-1865), youngest daughter of Paul I, sister of Alexander I and Nicholas I. It is for this service that the proposed soup tureen is thought to have been created. From 1811-1813, four silver tureens were complemented by an enormous array of serving pieces, dinner and breakfast sets in addition to dozens of candlesticks complemented by an extensive porcelain service from the Imperial Porcelain factory. The dowry also included furniture, jewellery and large sums of money.
The lavish wedding of Anna Pavlovna to William of Orange, the Dutch Crown Prince took place on 21 February 1816 and their ascension to the throne of the Netherlands in 1840. Queen Anna Pavlovna maintained the customs she had learned at her parents' table. She took an active interest in the daily menu at court and was critical of her chefs meanwhile longing for the sophisticated dining traditions she had known during her upbringing.
For further information on George Friedrich Pomo, see M.M. Postnikova-Loseva, N.G. Platonova, B.L. Ulyanova, Zolotoe i serebriannoe delo XV - XX vv. USSR Territory, Moscow, 1995, and L. Kuznetsova, Peterburgskie Yuveliry XX vek. Dnei Alexandrovih prekrasnoe nachalo, Moscow, 2012.
We are grateful to Dr. Ludmila Dementieva of the State Historical Museum, Moscow, for her contribution to this entry.