Magnificent silver with Russian imperial provenance will come up at Christie’s in Paris next November 8. A soup tureen on stand and a set of four massive candlesticks from the Orloff service will highlight a sale of decorative arts from the 13th to the 19th centuries entitled “Le gout Francais”. Commissioned in 1770 by Empress Catherine II of Russia from the finest Parisian silversmith of the time Jacques Roettiers (1707-1784) and his son Jacques-Nicolas (1736-1788) the service comprised more than 3,000 pieces. It is one of the earliet expressions of the Neo-classical style in silver. Items from this legendary service have occasionally appeared at auction, but it is more than 20 years since such a significant group has been presented to the international market. (Click on either image to enlarge).
Silver Soup tureen
Jacques-Nicolas Röettiers
Paris, 1770-1771
(1,500,000 – 2,000,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013.
4 silver candlesticks
Jacques-Nicolas Röettiers
Paris, 1770-1771 (500,000 – 800,000). Courtesy Christie’s Images Ltd., 2013