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163 - NEOCLASSICAL INKWELL-CALENDAR Tula Imperial Manufactory, Rus…
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Estimate €25,000 - €30,000
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Description
NEOCLASSICAL INKWELL-CALENDAR Tula Imperial Manufactory, Russia, late 18th century In steel, with copper and pewter applications, in the shape of a globe, the lid decorated with flower baskets and opening by means of a press button to reveal an interior containing an inkwell and a sand box, the pedestal with a perpetual calendar, the square-section base decorated with garlands of flowers and opening by means of a drawer. H. 25.5 cm (10 in.) l. 11 cm (4 ¼ in.) Comparative bibliography: Cat. expo, Trésors des Tzars, La Russie et l'Europe de Pierre le Grand à Nicolas Ier, J. Kugel, Paris, 1998, fig. 188. M.D. Malchenko, Art Objects in Steel by Tula Craftsmen, Aurora Art Publishers, Leningrand, 1974, fig. 81. A Russian Neoclassical steel, copper and pewter calendar-inkstand, Tula Imperial manufactory, late 18th century This rare calendar-inkstand perfectly illustrates the production of the Tula manufactory, its expertise and excellence in the production of precious steel objects, a real technical challenge in the 18th century. Founded in 1712 by Emperor Peter the Great, in the early 18th century the Tula Imperial Manufactory played the role of an arms production centre supporting the Moscow Chamber of Armaments. The artistic talent of the master armourers led to the development of a more civilian production of ceremonial objects, in parallel with the decline in military orders at the end of the Swedish War. The manufactory received numerous orders from aristocratic families and the imperial court. In this respect, we should mention the inkwell comparable to our example in the collections of the Hermitage Museum (inv. E-2130) in Saint Petersburg (see fig. 1). Empress Catherine II was a great admirer of the pieces made by the Tula factory, which she visited twice in person, accepting as gifts from the armourers "steel chairs, tables, candelabras and an exceptional inkwell created especially for her". The craze for these pieces continued under the reign of Alexander I, when steel objects became major works in the Treasures Gallery of the Winter Palace. The originality of objects from the Tula factory lies in the particular use of different metals on a single object. This process of inlaying and melting at different temperatures creates subtle variations in colour. The Galerie Kugel organised an exhibition entitled Trésors des Tzars, La Russie & L'Europe de Pierre Le Grand à Nicolas Ier in 1998, which included an inkwell-calendar very similar to our model. Among the few comparable examples that have come up for sale in recent years, we should mention a first one sold at Christie's Paris on 6 November 2015 (see fig. 2), lot 899 (€59,100) and a second one sold at Christie's Paris (see fig. 3) on 17 November 2010, lot 322 (€61,000).
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About the sale Furniture and Works of Art - Evening Sale (Lot 1-170)
Auction location
Auction time 06/16/2026 at 5:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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