A fine silvered bronze bear with exceptional afterwork, mounted on a frosted and burnished ormolu base which is engraved in script, B.D.
The sculptor responsible for this model is identified as Nikolay Lieberich. It was made at the foundry of Carl F. Woerffel, St. Petersburg, around 1870 when they began casting art bronzes. By 1914 the foundry had come under the ownership of another Carl, that of Faberge.
Nikolay Lieberich (1828-1883) was one of Russia’s most popular sculptors of the 19th century and was represented at most of the International Exhibitions following on from the Great Exhibition of 1851. He developed a special and secret technique of casting a bear’s fur whereby the wax model would undergo a special chemical treatment before casting took place. Nevertheless, he was known as a meticulous and slow worker, his larger groups taking up to a year to finish.
12 3/8 in x 1 1/8 in
The bear approx. 6 1/4 inches long.
Item Code: 4928
£ 1250
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