Lot 503
An exquisite gift seal with enamel décor and 18ct gold-mounting, probably Russian, 1880s
Works of Art, Antiquities & Ancient Art | A106kua | Live auction | 604 Lots
Description
Matrix of light-coloured chalcedony cut in the shape of a rounded rectangular with ornate inscription "MAXIMILIAN" in Cyrillic script. Gently rounded base of 18ct gold with surrounding decoration of radiant palmettes merging into four slender ridges. The handle of tapering quatrefoil form copiously covered with finely punched décor and transparent enamel in scarlet red, with an elaborately engraved flower tendril standing out in each quarter (slightly rubbed in places). Height 9.5 cm, dimensions of matrix 20 x 22 mm. The object at hand is most likely a gift of a Russian cousin to Prince Max von Baden on the occasion of his 21st birthday (his mother, Maria Maximilianowna von Leuchtenberg, was a niece of Tsar Alexander II of Russia). Max von Baden became the last Reich Chancellor of the German Empire in 1918.Provenance: Sotheby’s Munich, 8th December 1999, lot 493.
Condition: II Questions about the lot?
