16th Dec, 2017 10:00
Jewellery, Silver, Watches & Objects of Vertu
A Russian silver cigarette case with embossed decoration depicting stories of the folk hero and Russian Orthodox saint Illya Muromets the lid shows Illya shooting an arrow at a spitting wood sprite, the underside depicts him courting a beautiful maiden, Cyrillic text on lid can be roughly translated as 'Illya Muromets: firebrand and warrior', stamped 84 to interior, 8 x 12 cm.  Note: Although Illya Muromets is regarded as the creme de la creme of the bogatyrs (Russian heroic warriors), he spends the first thirty three years of his life half-paralysed. His bogatyr status is gifted by two pilgrims who heal him and foretell that he will never fall in battle, sending him off into the lands to fulfil his heroic duties.
Sold for £800
A Russian silver cigarette case with embossed decoration depicting stories of the folk hero and Russian Orthodox saint Illya Muromets the lid shows Illya shooting an arrow at a spitting wood sprite, the underside depicts him courting a beautiful maiden, Cyrillic text on lid can be roughly translated as 'Illya Muromets: firebrand and warrior', stamped 84 to interior, 8 x 12 cm.  Note: Although Illya Muromets is regarded as the creme de la creme of the bogatyrs (Russian heroic warriors), he spends the first thirty three years of his life half-paralysed. His bogatyr status is gifted by two pilgrims who heal him and foretell that he will never fall in battle, sending him off into the lands to fulfil his heroic duties.
