Peter the great: a rare russian award portrait miniature with diamonds,
early 18th century
an oval miniature of peter the great dressed in armor with a blue, ermine-edged cape and wearing the sash of the order of st. Andrew the first called, enclosed in a diamond-set frame, hinged and hanging from an imperial crown enameled royal blue and set with numerous diamonds; the reverse with a gold oval plaque engraved with a triple-crowned, imperial double-headed eagle (the eagle and orb retaining some of the original enameled decoration), the back of the diamonds' settings' enameled in white with red and black ornament
height 3 1/2 in. 8. 9 cm
the reign of tsar peter the great marks the beginning of imperial (rather than muscovite) russia, when the country greatly expanded and forged a new relationship with their western european neighbors. To achieve this, peter had to destroy the power of some of russia's old hereditary nobility and create new systems of political patronage. It is relatively well known that he achieved this in part by establishing russia's first honorific orders such as the order of st. Andrew the first called. Recipients of this oldest and most important of russian orders held the title for life; the tsar also had other ways of recognizing and rewarding those who had rendered unusual service to him. For a very few trusted advisors and others who had accomplished great feats on the behalf of the sovereign, peter the great established a tradition of awarding a portrait miniature of himself surrounded by diamonds. Called a znak otlichiia (award of distinction) rather than an order (orden), research currently suggests that the award of the portrait miniatures with diamonds was even a greater honor than being awarded the order of st. Andrew. Prior to his death, peter seems to have given out only about ten of the portrait miniatures with diamonds while at least thirty-eight persons had been made cavaliers in the order of st. Andrew. Portraits of heroes of peter's day such as grand chancellor alexei bestuzhev-riumin indicate that holders of the order of st. Andrew could also be awarded a portrait miniature with diamonds. While no complete list of recipients exists, research indicates that aleksei kelin, one of the heroes of the battle of poltava, was awarded a portrait miniature with diamonds as was peter's mistress, anna mons. These awards of distinction generally contain portraits based on godfrey kneller's 1698 portrait of peter i (the royal collection, rcin 405645). Today only six of these portrait miniatures with diamonds are known to exist. Three very similar awards to this currently offered, with blue crowns, are in the collections of the state diamond fund, moscow; the kremlin museums, moscow; and the state historical museum, moscow. An award with a slightly different design (not set entirely with diamonds) was sold by christie's, new york, october 19, 2001, lot 91. Another similar, but smaller award with a miniature signed by s*** n*** was sold by sotheby's, london, december 19, 1996, lot 73. A third portrait miniature set with rubies and diamonds is in the collection of the kremlin museums (see russkie emali xi-xix vv. , moscow, 1974, pp. 174-175 and g. N. Komelova, russkaia miniatiura na emali, xviii-nachala xix veka, st. Petersburg, 2005, p. 21). Date: 18th century.
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