A RUSSIAN SILVER AND ENAMEL COMMEMORATIVE ALBUM

MARK OF ANTIP KUZMICHEV, MOSCOW, CIRCA 1892

Details

Rectangular, the silver front cover with a border of strapwork and fantastical creatures with an enamel shield at the top bearing the crest of the city of Moscow and a vacant panel at the bottom, the center with four curved arches, the two side arches with enamel panels of scrolling flowers, foliage, and birds against a blue ground, the center with two roundels bearing the dates 15 May 1890 and 1 May 1892 above a plaque engraved with a depiction of Moscow city hall, the album bound in black leather and with a square silver clasp to the side, with silver-mounted back cover raised on the backs of four recumbent beasts, marked on side of front and back cover 'A. KUZMICHEV' in Cyrillic, further marked on each foot and with the city mark for Moscow
17 in. (43.2 cm.) long


Lot Essay

Unlike most European cities, Moscow had no city hall until the establishment of the Zemstvo, or local governments established by Alexander II in the late 19th century. The city hall depicted on the present album was commissioned in 1887 as part of the broader reconstruction of Red Square in the 1880's in the Neo-Russian style, with architect Dimitry Chichagov's design eventually selected as the winning plan.
The foundation was laid on 15 May 1890, with the overall design referencing the traditional Russian architecture of the surrounding square, including the nearby 17th century Terem Palace and the adjacent Iberian Gate. The present album continues these Neo-Russian design themes, with the arches and architectural elements of the cover mirroring the entry to the city hall, and the surrounding strapwork and mythical creatures inspired by traditional carving and ornamentation, similar to other nationalistic design movements popular throughout Scandinavia at the end of the 19th century.
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, the city hall was turned into the Lenin Museum, and the opulent interior decorations were plastered over so as not to distract visitors. In the early 2000's the hall became the home of the State Historical Museum, with many of the interiors now restored.