Private Inventory

Vinaigrettes are small boxes containing sponges infused with vinegar kept beneath a perforated cover. Worn to cure fainting spells or to cure a headache, they were popular from the seventeenth- through the nineteenth-centuries. They could also provide relief from unpleasant smells by supplementing the vinegar with additional fragrances like orange, mint, lavender, rose, and spices.

Also implements of flirtation, vinaigrettes appear in Victorian literature, usually with a gentleman suitor coming to aid a faint or headache-stricken lady as seen in this excerpt from Samuel Warren’s 1841 novel titled Ten Thousand a-Year:

Then, after a moment’s pause of irresolution, he gently drew her to the sofa, and laid her down. Supporting her head and applying her vinaigrette, till a deep-drawn sigh evidenced returning consciousness. Before she had opened her eyes, or could have become aware of the assistance he had rendered her, he had withdrawn to a respectful distance, and was gazing at her with deep anxiety. It was several minutes before her complete restoration—which, however, the fresh air entering through the windows, which Gammon hastily threw open, added to the incessant use of her vinaigrette, greatly accelerated.

Gold bangle in the form of conjoined snakes with emerald eyes biting a center ring of diamonds.

French, ca. 1900

$14,500

Snakes have adorned humans since antiquity, their coils naturally forming rings, bracelets, necklaces, and armbands. While designs remained constant, the snake’s symbolism evolved over the last 6,000 years. In antiquity, serpents represented wisdom, eternity, and the form of a guardian spirit. Through much of the nineteenth-century they symbolized everlasting love, but by the fin-de-siècle they came to be seen as a symbol of sinister danger.

In 1840 Albert presented Queen Victoria with an emerald-set engagement ring in the form of a snake biting its tail, a symbol of eternal love. At the time it was customary that an engagement ring feature the wearer’s birthstone. Symbols of love and romance were recurring themes in the jewelry Albert designed for her. A true romantic of her age, Queen Victoria’s love of symbolism made snake jewelry an enduring motif throughout her reign. So precious was Prince Albert’s initial token of affection that Queen Victoria is buried with the ring that inspired a renewed fashion for serpents.

Our collection includes snake jewelry ranging from the early nineteenth-century to the mid-twentieth demonstrating the wide range of meanings and styles as illustrated on our Pinterest board:

http://www.pinterest.com/alvrussie/2013-year-of-the-snake/

This shtof, the Russian word for vodka bottle, features the Russian Imperial Eagle and the dates 1877, 1886, and 1896, marking the increasing prestige the Smirnoff distillery achieved, including the right to use Russian coats of arms, becoming Purveyor to the Tsar, and the numerous awards received for quality and variety at international exhibitions between 1874 and 1897. The back of the bottle features the inscription “SUPPLIER TO THE IMPERIAL COURT, PETER ARSENTEVICH SMIRNOV”

Vodka, derived from the Slavonic word for water, voda, acquired a particular status living up to this root meaning. It has been said that vodka was “the elixir of life, the living water” of the Russian people, becoming both socially and economically vital.

The blue glass of the bottle plays on these water references, perhaps intending to speak to the superior purity former serf Pyotr Smirnov sought when he began distilling vodka in 1864. The quality of his product, coupled with his marketing genius and the strategic shaping of his personal image, allowed Smirnoff to become Russia’s most prestigious vodka brand. Today, the brand is equally highly regarded in the United States, providing Americans with an elixir of life of superior quality.

This snuffbox and necklace are made of pinchbeck, a brass alloy imitating gold. The snuffbox commemorates the 1745 Jacobite Rising, culminating in the victorious Battle of Culloden. The repoussé cover depicts a scene from the battle. The necklace, made circa 1880, features multi-colored hardstone and glass panels in pinchbeck rocaille frames. While a little over a century separates these pieces, they share a curious and ingenious history.

The English clockmaker Christopher Pinchbeck (1670-1732) observed that brass containing between 12 and 15 percent zinc strongly resembles gold and so invented the alloy that bears his name in the 1720s. High gold hallmark standards of 18 and 22 carats at the time confined fine metalwork to the wealthy, but through his genius, Pinchbeck now brought ‘gold’ to the people, catering to those of modest means for whom precious metal objects were inaccessible.

But the alloy also appealed to the wealthy, using it to make copies of their valuables for traveling. Necessary travel accoutrements like buckles, watches, and sword-hilts made of pinchbeck could deter the attention of highway robbers.

These pieces exhibit the many benefits of the material. First to note is their luster despite their age. Pinchbeck has superior wearing quality and retains its bright color, unlike other imitation gold metals. Also, because pinchbeck is lighter in weight than gold, larger pieces, like this necklace, are easier to wear.

Christopher Pinchbeck was very guarded about the true contents of his alloy. The clockmaker had a fondness for spectacle, making musical clocks and automata among other objects. Thus, it is not surprising the true formula of his namesake metal remains a mystery. He passed it on to his son, and so true pinchbeck is said to have died with him, as others struggled to duplicate it accurately. However, as this necklace attests, later concoctions did succeed in replicating the pinchbeck of the previous century.

14K gold and enamel playing card dress set comprised of Aces cufflinks and matching four studs.

Continental, ca. 1915

$8,500

June 27, 2013 – July 3, 2013
Please visit us at Stand C8.
South Grounds
The Royal Hospital Chelsea
SW3 4SR
London, England
Click here for more information.

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In the enduring spirit of les années folles and with the release of Baz Luhrmann’s new film The Great Gatsby, A La Vieille Russie presents a selection of our authentic Edwardian and Art Deco jewels. These  pieces evoke the elegance and sophistication of the Jazz Age,  a bygone era from which F. Scott Fitzgerald’s timeless characters still speak to us. The roaring twenties redefined modernity and these treasures, whether worn with a pair of jeans or a ball gown, remain eternally in vogue.

1920s French Diamond Drop Earrings

Edwardian 56ct Diamond Necklace/Bracelet

1920s 4.98 ct. Cushion Diamond Ring

Platinum and Emerald-cut Diamond Ring

Natural Black Pearl Sautoir

Art Deco Diamond Car Brooch

Enamel, Diamond, and Gold 1920s Cufflinks

Art Deco “Architectural” Double Cufflinks

Gilded silver and shaded and cloisonné enamel kovsh with geometric and floral motifs on a blue ground. A kovsh is a traditional Russian drinking cup, originally carved out of wood in the form of a duck. In this decorative kovsh, the bird-like form is clearly evident.

By the 11th Artel, Moscow, ca. 1910
Length: 4-1/8 inches; height: 2 inches

$18,500

Pair of oval 14k-gold double cufflinks. Each link is set with a old mine diamond.

American, ca. 1900
Height: 3/4 inch

$3,800

Antique Oval Gold Cufflinks – back view

Consider a beautiful antique jewel for your Valentine!  Please click below, or phone for additional suggestions.

Click for Valentine’s Day ideas

Gold and enamel snuffbox with scene of two children and a dog.
Hanau, Germany, ca. 1830
Width: 2 3/4 inches