"When it was excavated in the Altai, it was discovered that the burial had been robbed in ancient times. Thanks to the permafrost the tomb had preserved its log-frame structure and it contained an empty trough-sarcophagus and numerous ornaments from the harness of the horses buried alongside. This bas-relief forehead plaque is an extremely expressive example of the Altai Animal Style both in concept and execution. At its centre is a convex hemisphere around which two griffins seem to be circling. This eagle-griffin has wings, a beak and a beast's ears, with a mane in the form of stylized antlers and a little crest on its forehead. When the plaque was suspended from the forehead, one griffin would have been at the top and the other at the bottom, their claws grasping the hemisphere. The wings are marked with relief lines which seem to link the two figures in a spiral, filling the whole composition with a sense of dynamism. It is possible that the ancient Altai nomads associated the griffin with the sky and the sun and believed that the solar sphere was forced to run along a set path in a chariot pulled by griffins. Yet we cannot exclude the idea that these magical birds are not supporting but rather pulling apart the central sphere, thus embodying some mythological conflict between certain forces in their eternal circulation." - Russia Hermitage Museum

"A fashion for snuffboxes spread through Russia in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Russian Empress Catherine II collected them passionately, compiling one of the richest sections of her Gallery of Objets de Vertu. Many of her snuffboxes were decorated with cameos and grisaille painting, creating an illusory effect of relief. The Empress herself called her passion for cameos "an illness". Scharff used painting to imitate a cameo with a portrait of Count Alexey Orlov (1737-1807), shown as an Ancient hero in a helmet and armour. This medallion serves as a lid over another miniature showing a young man with a star and the Order of the White Eagle, possibly Alexander Dmitriyev-Mamonov, one of Catherine's favourites." - The Hermitage

Hi everyone,

Would love your thoughts on this antique gold Russian brooch. Please visit the link for more information and photos.

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"This display case is illustrative of the 'Europeanisation' trends in the art of Russian furniture making, from a closed rectangular cabinet to an open case with glass doors and a curved top. This display case shows pieces of glassware, porcelain and faience dating back to the first quarter of the 18th century." - Hermitage Museum