Russian Tole Tray, 19th century - M. Ford Creech Antiques

RUSSIAN TOLE TRAY MOUNTED ON STAND
19th century, on a later custom stand

The crimson painted tray of oval two-handled form, the center with a transfer and overpainted scene depicting

the entrance of the Dolmabache Palace, Istanbul, surrounded by broad band of gilt arabesques,

mounted on a later gilt heightened crimson stand.

Condition: excellent; several areas of inpainting in the sky; expected small scratches to surface

Note: This tray is to be included in a forthcoming exhibition catalogue of 19th century japanned
tin trays from collectors in Greece and Turkey. No research has previously been done on these works.

price : Please Inquire

Above is an antique photograph of the main gate at Dolmabahçe Palace.

Dolmabahçe, located on the European side of the Bosporus, served as the main administrative center

of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1922, apart from a twenty-two year interval (1887-1909) in which

Yıldız Palace was used. Dolmabahçe Palace was ordered built by the Empire's 31st Sultan, Abdülmecid I, and

constructed between 1843 and 1856, at a cost of five million Ottoman gold coins - the equivalent of 35 tons of gold.

Fourteen tons of gold in the form of gold leaf were used to gild the ceilings of the 45,000 square meter mono-block

palace. The design contains eclectic elements from the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, blended with

traditional Ottoman architecture to create a new synthesis.

Myrto Hatzaki was born in Athens in 1977. She studied History of Art at Warwick University,

UK and at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London where she obtained her MA and then her PhD

in 2004. Her book, "Beauty and the Male Body in Byzantium Perceptions and Representations in

Art and Text" was published by Palgrave Macmillan in 2009. She is currently working as a curator

at the Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum and the A.G. Leventis Foundation.

During the second half of the eighteenth century, Russia was to witness an unrivalled program of palace building,

particularly under the enlightened rule of Catherine the Great (1762-1796). On June 28, 1762, Catherine dethroned her husband,

Peter III, thus beginning a thirty-four year reign that would see her country become not only a modern state, but a power

equal to the most significant of her European neighbors. During her sovereignty, Russian territory expanded, the arts and sciences

flourished, and many of the great palaces were built. So significant were the advances made in this period, it would be

Closely linked to the construction of new palaces in Russia is the history of furniture manufacture. So many luxurious

new buildings required appropriate furnishings, but without a significant source in Russia itself, the majority in the early period

was imported from Europe. However, once the need was established, Russia would soon develop her own cabinet-making

industry, the significant growth of which can be seen in the records of the Lepke sales, held in Berlin on behalf of the Soviet

authorities on 6-7 November 1928 and 4-5 June 1929. The number of lots of Louis XV furniture (pre-1770) in Russian sales

is three times that of furniture made later, suggesting a significant decline in furniture imports post-1770.

A feature that distinguishes the work of Russian cabinet-makers from their Western counterparts is their departure from

strictly neo-classical patterns and designs. While their work does of course refer to these established motifs, their

We welcome and encourage all inquiries. We will make every attempt to answer any questions you might have.

For information, call (901) 761-1163 or (901) 827-4668 or email mfcreech@bellsouth.net