Easter and the table: Sotheby's auction of European and Russian works and objects

As the first signs of spring begin to bloom, our thoughts naturally turn to the flora and fauna that craftsmen and women have celebrated in art and objects for centuries. Inspired by the gifts of spring, this sale focuses on rare and unusual finds such as a Victorian silver and enamel salt cruet and a speckled egg chilli pepper, to a set of eighteen modern French silver charger plates by Puiforcat in pristine condition . The porcelain and glass section includes dinner services, desserts and glassware from famous factories such as Royal Copenhagen, Herend and Baccarat. A group of seven porcelain Easter eggs from the Imperial Porcelain Factory in St. Petersburg would make a colorful addition to any table, while the Vertu section includes other jewelery treasures such as a solid gold frog pillbox from Tiffany & Co., Paris. With estimates from £150 to £30.000, the sale includes an exciting range of items to liven up any basket or table at Easter.

It would appear that menu holders were generally unknown before the 60s. In an age of luxury, where great attention was paid to the landscaping of the dining room or dinner table, an attentive hostess was never insensitive to the latest fancy or way to add glamor to her selected gatherings. Pottery makers were probably the first to create specialty menu stands: Thomas Goode & Co. of South Audley Street, when commissioned to supply the state dessert service to the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in 1865 included among ancillary pieces , '24 compotiers, eight baskets of fruit and flowers, beautifully perforated and supported by admirably modeled parian cupids, and four jardinières.

Maud C. Cooke, in her book Social Life; or, The Manners and Customs of Polite Society, however, had a word of caution for the more anxious: “Menu holders are often very nice, and on the menu card itself a lot of taste and money is sometimes lavished. However it is not considered good taste to have them in every dish as it tastes too much of the hotel style. (Buffalo, New York, 1896, p. 196) But with so many delightful designs soon to be available, it must have been hard to resist the latest silliness, especially when trendy shops vied with each other to feature all the hottest new items.

“Indeed,” wrote one reporter, “a lady must be exceedingly stupid. . . who could not arrange a model dinner table with such material ». In 1873, John Mortlock & Co. in Orchard Street, London, displayed “little China” menu holders formed like “butterflies with erect wings [which] respond best to individual cards”. These, according to the same report, conformed to Mortlock's model dinner table, which had been "prepared by a lady regarded as an authority on the matter". (“Metropolitan Gossip. From our correspondent. London, The Belfast News-letter, Belfast, Thursday, 10 July 1873, p. 3a).

Easter, the “Feast of Holidays” in imperial Russia, it was truly the most joyful and important holiday in the Orthodox calendar. Romanov emperors traditionally presented gifts not only to their families but also to a wider circle. These celebrations were manifested by giving richly decorated eggs and sometimes lasted a few days. This was an opportunity to feel the Christian union between the emperor and his people. Porcelain Easter eggs were always made to be suspended from ribbons. Two holes at each end would allow for silk or velvet ribbons to be threaded through, terminating in a bow at the bottom and a loop at the top. The imperial factory had a specialized department of the so-called "women with bows", specially hired for this work. Eggs were suspended from an icon or kiot.

While in Europe, banquets and dinner parties evolved during the Renaissance with the introduction of exotic imported ingredients, particularly with the use of sugar which was as much a status symbol as a flavoring.

While sugared seeds, nuts and candied fruit have been popular for centuries, sugar and cream were used to embellish meat and fish. The separate dessert course becomes popular from the 1600s onwards and it is common to see dessert items listed as part of XNUMXth century porcelain services. With the introduction of the Russian style of service in the early XNUMXth century, porcelain factories began producing elaborate services that were distinct from the main banquet service. As the century progressed this became the mainstay of many factories who would produce small elegant services for their clientele for use in their salon and more formal occasions.