1 / 2
Photo 1/2 du lotPhoto 2/2 du lot
Featured lot selected by the auctions House.
Premium ALEXANDRE LANDRE - PARIS

122 - A large portico clock in malachite and Ural green malachite …
See original version (French)

Estimate €8,000 - €12,000
Sale commission
Description
A large portico clock in malachite and Ural green malachite veneer, with chiselled and gilded bronze. It features four columns with Corinthian capitals supporting a wide portico. The medallion dial, decorated with small flowers, is crowned by a putto holding a scroll. The whole stands on a rectangular base with a leaf-and-scroll foot. Russia. Second quarter of the 19th century. H_77 cm W_36 cm D_25 cm Damage, restoration, slight loss. Provenance: - Former Poniatowski collection Comparable work: - Sotheby’s Paris sale. 12–19 November 2021, lot 169. Hardstone carving workshops Malachite, with its intense green colour due to its high copper content, was a highly prized mineral in the 19th century. A large number of workshops did indeed exist, particularly in Saint Petersburg, where several specialised in working with malachite. The best known belonged to the Demidov family, owners of numerous mines and smelters in the Urals, including the famous malachite mine at Nizhny Tagil, which was discovered in 1835 and operated by the count. Malachite mosaics were already being produced in the capital’s workshops as early as 1760, but were then limited to small pieces of furniture, paperweights, bookends and small decorative objects, often adorned with small figurines or groups in silver, gilded silver or gilded bronze. Around 1840, L. Leopold Joffrian developed a machine fitted with two brass rotary saws which, rotating at high speed, enabled very thin slices of malachite to be cut along the concentric veins, without the risk of breaking or chipping them, unlike manual saws. At the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, visitors could admire a pair of double doors whose frames were covered with a 6 mm-thick malachite veneer, the creation of which had required a year’s work by thirty men, from May 1850 to May 1851. The Exhibition jury awarded the gold medal to the Demidov group, stating that ‘the piece with malachite veneer has attained a degree of beauty and majesty rarely seen in our country’. Later in the century, the Demidov workshop produced a varied range of high-quality objects and furniture. Some, richly decorated and entirely covered in malachite, bear witness to remarkable technical virtuosity. The fresh beauty of this refined art sparked a craze that would last throughout the 19th century. France discovered this famous technique when, in 1808, Alexander I of Russia presented Napoleon I with a set of malachite gifts. Candelabra, large vases and a basin were thus installed in the Emperor’s Salon at Trianon, which became known as the ‘Salon des Malachites’. French craftsmen therefore set about working with malachite, and during the Restoration, Pierre-Philippe Thomire produced several pieces, including the large Medici vase mounted in gilded bronze, commissioned by Prince Demidoff and now held at the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Bibliography: - RUSSIAN FURNITURE. The Golden Age. Antoine Chenevière. Published by George Weidenfeld & Nicolson LTD 1988. Pages 258–306. Expert: Stéphane Pepe Large portal clock in malachite and green Ural malachite veneer, with embossed and gilded bronze details. The clock is adorned with four columns with Corinthian capitals supporting a wide portico. The medallion-shaped dial, decorated with floral motifs, is crowned by a putto figure holding a cartouche. The composition stands on a rectangular base with legs in the form of leaves and scrolls. Russia, second quarter of the 19th century. Height 77 cm; width 36 cm; depth 25 cm. There is damage, restoration and minor losses. Provenance: - The historic Poniatowski collection. Comparable work: - Sotheby’s Paris auction, 12–19 November 2021, lot 169. Hardstone workshops Malachite, distinguished by its rich green colour due to its high copper content, enjoyed immense popularity in the 19th century. Numerous workshops existed, particularly in St Petersburg, where some specialised in working with malachite. The most famous was the workshop of the Demidov family—owners of numerous mines and metallurgical plants in the Urals. The famous malachite deposit in Nizhny Tagil was discovered in 1835 and developed by Count Demidov. The technique of malachite mosaic had been used in workshops in the Russian capital since the 1760s, though initially it was employed mainly for the production of small items of furniture, paperweights, bookends and decorative items, often adorned with silver, gilded silver or bronze figurines. Around 1840, L. Leopold Joffrian developed a machine with two rotating brass disc saws, which allowed malachite to be cut at high speed into the thinnest of plates along the direction of its concentric veins without the risk of chipping or damage, which was inevitable with manual processing. At the 1851 Great Exhibition in London, double doors were displayed, the frames of which were clad in malachite just 6 mm thick. It took thirty craftsmen a year to make them—from May 1850 to May 1851. The exhibition jury awarded the Demidovs a gold medal, noting that ‘the malachite-clad piece had attained a degree of beauty and grandeur rarely seen in our country’. In the second half of the 19th century, the Demidov workshops produced a wide range of high-quality decorative and applied art objects and furniture. Some of these, richly decorated and entirely covered in malachite, demonstrate exceptional technical mastery. The new aesthetic language of this exquisite art sparked a craze that persisted throughout the 19th century. In France, the technique of malachite inlay became known after the Russian Emperor Alexander I presented Napoleon I with a luxurious set of malachite gifts in 1808. Candelabra, large vases and a basin were installed in the Imperial Salon of the Trianon Palace, which came to be known as the ‘Malachite Salon’. French craftsmen quickly mastered working with this material. During the Restoration, Pierre-Philippe Tomir created a number of outstanding works, including a large ‘Medici-style’ vase in a gilded bronze frame, commissioned by Prince Demidov and now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Bibliography: Antoine Chenevière, Russian Furniture. The Golden Age, George Weidenfeld & Nicolson Ltd, London, 1988, pp. 258–306. Expert: Stéphane Pépé. - Expert: PEPE Stephane
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale Russian Art and Art from the Orthodox World #2
Auction location
Auction time 06/30/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like