Horses in War and Piece Horses in War and Piece | Page 24

Russian Parcel-Gilt Silver Imperial Presentation Tazza
Sazikov, St.Petersburg
1851
height: 29 cm
maker’s mark: Imperial Warrant mark of Ignatiy Sazikov; incuse Cyrillic maker’s
mark and crowned double-headed eagle Imperial Warrant mark of Sazikov
to detachable top
maker’s mark: Cyrillic initials I.S. to foot
assay master’s mark: Latin initials A.M. of Alexander Nicholayevitch Mitin, 1851
assay mark of St.Petersburg
silver standard: 84 zolotnik
Parcel-Gilt Silver Presentation Tazza. The detachable parcel-gilt silver top features a border of fruiting vines, and a centre
engraved with the Imperial double-headed eagle in roundel with the Russian inscription State Prize for Trotting Horse-
Breeding Stallions, 1849. The piece was then awarded at a slightly later date as a horse-racing prize and inscribed in Russian
with name of winning horse as well as the date of race: “Krolik” (Rabbit in Russian) and “28th February, 1854”. Below this in
Russian is the horse’s time in the race: 6 minutes, 1 second. The baluster column and capital is chased and decorated with
fruiting vines on a shaped square base raised on four acanthus leaf feet.
The firm of Sazikov was one of the most well-regarded silversmith and jewelry firms of the nineteenth-century Russia and
one of the greatest innovators in the field. In 1837 the firm was appointed the official purveyor of silverware to Tsar Nicholas
I, in 1844 received the Imperial Warrant. The firm existed until the beginning of 1887, when it was acquired by Khlebnikov.
The firm was famous for its tablewares and objets de vertu in Neo-Russian style. In addition to that, Sazikov’s firm produced
figurative, sculptural works, often representing historical themes or genre scenes.
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