BOWL ON THREE BALL FEET

Creator(s): Maria Semenova (Firm)

On view in: Icon Room

About this object

Maria Semenova was an accomplished enameller known for her innovations with traditional Russian ornaments. She took over her father's workshop upon his death in 1896 and sucessfully ran the business until 1904.

The bowl is set on three ball feet making the form reminiscent of enameled, seventeenth-century vessels. The body of the bowl is divided into eight panels springing from a flat bottom. Between each panel is a thin, concave area of polished silver gilt. On the exterior of the bowl, the panels are bordered with a braided gilt wire and the panels themselves are stippled. In each panel is a large, stylized flower reminiscent of a tulip or poppy rendered in shaded enamel similar to Usol'sk enamels. The two different sorts of blooms alternate around the bowl. On the interior, the eight panels are fully covered with enamel rather than stippled silver gilt. Pale lemon yellow and pale pistachio green, the two dominant colors, alternate. Painted on these enameled panels are the same stylized flowers reminiscent of tulips and poppies that appear on the exterior of the bowl. On the interior base of the bowl is a large double-headed eagle reminiscent of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century versions of the imperial eagle. Although stylized, one can recognize the triple crowns above the double-heads. This essential heraldic device had been used since the sixteenth century to denote Russia's conquering of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, victories that served as the basis for the nation's claim to imperial status. There is no orb and scepter; indeed, one cannot see legs or talons. Smaller, decorative scrolls resembling those on the floral panels occupy some of the empty spaces around the eagle's body. There is an extensive dedicatory inscription on the underside.

Object name:

BOWL ON THREE BALL FEET

Made from:

Silver gilt -- enamel

Made in:

Moscow, Russia

Date made:

1904

Size:

5.7 × 13 cm (2 1/4 × 5 1/8 in.)

Detailed information for this item

Catalog number:

15.90

Class:

ENAMEL

Signature marks:

silver standard; assayer's mark 84 [kokoshnik left] [Cyrillic] IL Stamped on underside, center The three marks are contained within an oval. These so-called "doubles" (joined marks on a single poinçon) were introduced in the Assay Charter of 1882. This particular version (with kokoshnik and assayer's initials) was introduced in late 1898. The initials are those of Moscow assayer Ivan Sergeevich Lebedkin (active late 1898-1914). Note that this mark is struck partially over the maker's mark. inscription [Cyrillic] Na novosel'e N.Ia. i E.I. Fokinym" ot" F. i E. Sitninym" 18 ianvaria 1904. Engraved in italic script on underside. Trans: For the Housewarming of N.A. and Ye. I. Fokin from F. and Ye. Sitnin 18 January 1904 maker's mark [Cyrillic] MS Stamped on underside, center. Initials of Maria Semenova.

Credit line:

Bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973