An exceptional 718-pieces silver and silver-gilt flatware service with the cypher of prince Galitzin

An important pair of silver triangular covered dishes from the Mecklenburg-Schwerin service, apparently unmarked, attributed to Carl Gustav Hallmuth Saint Petersburg circa 1774

with reeded and undulating corners, the domed covers with laurel borders and waved scroll matting and paterae above, the cast acanthus calyx surmounted by a ribbon-tied foliate finial, the dish and cover engraved with a Princely crown and crest, each base and cover engraved with inventory numbers and scratchweights

Heigth 7 1/2in. ; width 12in. ; 148 43⁄64 oz.

Please note that on 27 July 2022 the United States imposed import tariffs on certain Russian goods. This lot may be subject to a tariff upon import into the United States. The amount of the import tariff due is a percentage of the value declared upon entry into the United States.

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Importante paire de plats et cloches triangulaires en argent du service de Mecklenburg-Schwerin, apparemment non poinçonnées, attribuées à Carl Gustav Hallmuth Saint-Pétersbourg vers 1774

aux angles cannelés et mouvementés, le couvercle bombé le bord à décor de feuilles de laurier et de rinceaux ondulés sommés de rosaces, la prise du couvercle en forme d'acanthe nouée par un ruban, le plat et le couvercle gravés d'une couronne princière et d'un écusson, chaque base et chaque couvercle gravés de numéros d'inventaire et d'un poids

Haut. 19 cm ; Larg. 30.5 cm ; 4 214.7 g

Veuillez noter que le 27 juillet 2022, les États-Unis ont imposé des droits de douane sur certains produits russes. Ce lot peut être soumis à des droits de douane lors de son importation aux États-Unis. Le montant des droits de douane dus est un pourcentage de la valeur déclarée à l'entrée aux États-Unis.

Catalogue note
This pair of triangular covered dishes are engraved with the arms of the House of Mecklenburg. The House of Mecklenburg is the only ruling family in Germany of Slavic origin. It descends from Niklot, pagan prince of the Obotrites (died 1160), whose grandson Heinrich Borwin I was made Prince of the Empire in 1170 and Prince of Mecklenburg in 1179. Mecklenburg was a small, relatively disadvantaged state with little political influence until the reign of Christian Ludwig I (1683-1756). In 1714, the Duke married Gustav Karlonie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (died 1748), whose niece Charlotte later married George III of England.

One of Christian Ludwig I's main passions was hunting in the vast forests of Mecklenburg, renowned for their excellent deer and enormous wild boar. His other passion was art. His interest in art led him to amass a large collection of world-renowned paintings, which is still housed in the museum in his capital, Schwerin. Inspired by his passion for hunting, he also turned to collecting still lifes, hunting scenes and exotic animals. It was for this reason that he enlisted the services of Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686 - 1755), one of the best and most famous animal painters of his time. He was involved in the design of the masterpiece of silversmithing: the Machine d'Argent. The name was first attributed to this sculpture by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, who acted as intermediary between François-Thomas Germain and the patron, Christian Louis II, Duke of Mecklenburg.

Prince Friedrich (1717-1785) succeeded his father as reigning duke in 1756 and became known as "le Pieu". Duke Friedrich initially chose to live in a small hunting lodge, Klenow, with a view to creating a new sumptuous ducal residence to be called Ludwigslust in honour of his father. He built a magnificent castle with a large park and an imposing classical church surrounded by a residential town. His marriage was childless and was succeeded by his nephew, Duke Friedrich Franz I (1756 - 1837).

Friedrich Franz I completed the decoration of Ludwigslust and held court there throughout his life. In 1799, his son Friedrich Ludwig married the Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, daughter of Paul I and Marie Feodorovna of Russia. It was through this marriage that the Russian silver dinner service in the neoclassical style, known as the "Mecklenburg-Schwerin service", entered the family. Elena's early death in 1803 is commemorated by a neoclassical mausoleum in Ludwigsburg. After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Friedrich Franz I became Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Grand Duke Paul Friedrich succeeded his grandfather in 1837. The dynasty ceased to reign on 14 November 1918 when Friedrich Franz IV, the last reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, renounced the throne.

This service was originally commissioned by Tsarina Catherine II of Russia. Various Russian and French silversmiths were involved in its production from 1770 onwards. Catherine the Great's son, Paul, inherited it and then passed it on to his daughter Hélène, who married Friedrich-Ludwig, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1799, and who died just five months later. The service was completed around 1904, when Friedrich Franz IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin married Alexandra, Princess Royal of Great Britain and Ireland.

A number of pieces from this service, including the present lot, were sold in Hamburg at the Galerie Dr. Hans Rudolph on 4 and 5 October 1951, lots 75-83. This sale included a pair of square dishes of similar design by Carl Gustav Hallmuth, St Petersburg, 1774, and French and Russian dinner plates by Just Nicolaus Lundt and Nikifor Moschtjalkin, St Petersburg, 1775-1993.

Other known pieces include:

A silver-gilt covered dish, circa 1770, were sold at Christie's, New York, 26 October 2001, lot 36 A pair of meat dishes, 1774, were offered at Christie's, London, 23 November 1999, lot 67. A pair of covered dishes with hallmarked stands by Carl Gustav Hallmuth were offered for sale on 24 May 2018 at Christie's lot 476.

Some German additions to the service, circa 1904, sold at Christie's, London, 31 March 1998, lots 116-119.

An identical pair to this one and its double, also unmarked, in the Patiño Collection sale, at Sotheby's Paris, 22 September 2010, lot 364 (sold for 144,750eur).

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Cette paire de cloches est gravée aux armes de la maison de Mecklembourg. Cette maison est la seule des familles régnantes d'Allemagne à avoir une origine slave. Elle descend de Niklot, prince païen des Obotrites (mort en 1160), dont le petit-fils Heinrich Borwin Ier a été fait prince de l'Empire en 1170 et prince de Mecklembourg en 1179. Mecklembourg est un petit État relativement défavorisé et disposant d’une influence politique réduite jusqu’au règne de Christian Ludwig I (1683-1756). Le duc avait épousé en 1714 Gustave Karlonie de Mecklembourg-Strelitz (mort en 1748), dont la nièce Charlotte épousera plus tard George Ill d'Angleterre.

L'une des principales passions de Christian Ludwig I était la chasse dans les vastes forêts du Mecklembourg, réputées pour leurs excellents cerfs et leurs énormes sangliers. L'autre passion était l'art. Son intérêt pour l'art l'a amené à rassembler une importante collection de peintures de renommée mondiale, qui est toujours conservée au musée de la capitale, Schwerin. Inspiré par sa passion pour la chasse, il s'est également tourné vers la collection de natures mortes, de scènes de chasse ou des animaux exotiques. C'est pour cette raison qu'il s'est attaché les services de Jean-Baptiste Oudry (1686 - 1755), l'un des meilleurs et des plus célèbres peintres animaliers de son époque. Il a participé à la conception d