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Table Seal
First quarter of the 19th century
Cornelian, pink opalescent glass,
bronze, gold
L of die 2.3 cm, w 2 cm, h overall 6 cm
The fashion for making seals
depicting family coat-of-arms or the
owner's monogram, which could also
serve as table ornaments, was
particularly popular in Russia in the
second half of the 19th century.
Ornaments for such seals, in the form
of vases and animal figurines, were
mostly made in Yekaterinburg. The
die was engraved to a design
specified by the client. Craftsmen
chose unusual, and sometimes
curiously shaped pieces of rock for
their wares. The pink opalescent
glass made by private Russian firms
in the 1820s and 1830s was highly
regarded in the early 19th century.
Glassware of this kind is usually
small in size and combined with cast
bronze, and sometimes comes
complete with a malachite stand. The
seal's ormolu setting is decorated
with tiny rolled gold leaves. Very few
examples of such pink opalescent
glassware have survived. |