Bonham’s had an excellent couple of days in Paris on April 21/22, thanks to both Russian pictures and objets d’art.
A View of Capri by the ever-popular Aivazovsky soared to for €825,900 (Lot 97). The picture is very late, painted in 1899, a year before the artist’s demise. It’s a bucolic scene – rather empty, with a still, tranquil sea…. To me it’s pretty boring: I like tempestuous, turbulent, violent seas with dark skies and furious, transparent waves! Well, different strokes for different folks. Never mind my own taste: Bonham’s beefy price more than satisfied a hungry market!
VIEW OF CAPRI, I.AIVAZOVSKY (LOT 97)
Bonham’s also scored a serious hit in the Russian silver and enamel market, which is now stronger than ever. The enamel prices of twenty years ago are back with gusto, or even surpassed. Oh, those fat yesteryears, when all things Russian forged forward and every auction was full of hitherto unknown records!
First, a silver and champlevé enamel liqueur-service by Ovchinnikov, reminiscent of 19th century cloisonné enamel dragon-handled Chinese moon flasks, surged to €229,000 (Lot 243). Then a large casket in silver gilt and champlevé enamel pulled in €356,000 (Lot 244). Both prices were surprising (to me anyway) as both lots looked dingy, shabby and requiring a serious bath in a cocktail of nasty chemicals. The enamel was not in the best of nick either – lots of chipping, cracking and discolouration. The patina embedded in the surface will probably come off, but it may pull all the gilding with it – rendering the pieces very dull. When they were made they were bright and shiny! A century of neglect, and the merciless elements, have resulted in oxidation and overall decline.
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- SILVER-GILT AND CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL WINE SET, P.OVCHINNIKOV (LOT 243)
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- SILVER-GILT CHAMPLEVÉ ENAMEL CASKET, P.OVCHINNIKOV (LOT 244)
Russian buyers, however, prefer a grimy appearance. I’ve never been able to understand that – maybe it’s a characteristic national trait. One of the Russian arguments is that, if a piece is drab, it’s easier to believe in its authenticity, whereas a clean and gleaming object may be suspicious. It’s hard to argue with lack of education.
The enamel market in Russia is robust, in fact burgeoning rapidly, but important pieces are hard to come by: only a handful appear on the Western market annually, causing ferocious competition among collectors from Mother Russia. Silver dealers in the West use totally different standards: important players in silver maintain their inventories spick and span. I certainly share this view.Another example of Bonham’s successful morning session was a rather mundane Mother of God icon that was no big shakes, yet climbed to €28,160 (Lot 245). It’s a decent quality, commercial icon – but these are plenty around.
ICON OF THE SHUISKAYA MOTHER OF GOD (LOT 245)
It seems that not even Putin’s antics, sanctions and the prohibitive visa restrictions facing Russians can frustrate the re-growth of the Russian Market. Is this a bubble that a will burst, or a New Reality? I hope it’s the latter!
