A PAIR OR RUSSIAN MAHOGANY ARMCHAIRS

Elaborately-carved overall, these fauteuils are characteristic of St. Petersburg chair-making of the 1820s and 1830s. Closely related examples formed part of the furnishings of most of the Imperial palaces during this period, such as those in the study of Tsarevich Alexander at the Winter Palace which was depicted in watercolour by Eduard Petrovich Hau (1807-87) (E. Ducamp, ed., The Winter Palace, St. Petersburg, 1995, p. 138). A further closely related example is illustrated in G. Loukomski, Mobilier et Décoration des Anciens Palais Impériaux Russes, Paris/Brussels, 1928, fig. 175.
Closely related examples sold at auction recently include a pair, albeit of simpler form than the present pair, sold Christie's, London, 17 March 2011, lot 109 (£7,500 with premium).