A Russian Gold Snuffbox with Portrait of Baranov. Maker's mark of NM, St. Petersburg, circa 1791. 1 x ...

Description

A Russian Gold Snuffbox with Portrait of Baranov
Maker's mark of NM, St. Petersburg, circa 1791
1 x 2-1/2 inches (2.5 x 6.3 cm)
107 grams (3.44 troy ounces)

PROVENANCE:
A La Vieille Russie, New York.


Alexander Andreievich Baranov (1747-1819) was a Russian merchant and colonial administrator who became the first Chief Manager of the Russian-American Company, effectively governing Russian Alaska from 1790 to 1818. The year 1791 was pivotal in his life, marking his arrival in Kodiak to manage the struggling Shelikhov-Golikov Company's operations - the beginning of his transformation from Siberian merchant to colonial leader. From this point, Baranov established enduring settlements such as Kodiak and Sitka, expanded trade with Indigenous communities, and laid the foundations of Russian authority in North America. His pragmatic and often forceful leadership stabilized the colony, promoted shipbuilding, and opened commerce with China and other Pacific powers. Despite the isolation and harsh conditions, Baranov's governance turned a precarious venture into a structured colonial enterprise. After nearly three decades of service, he retired in 1818 but died at sea near Java in April 1819 while returning to Russia. This exquisitely made gold box may have been commissioned as a presentation piece for Baranov by the court to commemorate his elevation to his new position as a colonial governor in the Americas. The silhouette of Baranov has been attributed to Thierry, and is surrounded by cut- and engraved gilding work over silver foil reading "Adam Bernhard von Baranow".

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Black, Lydia T. Russians in Alaska, 1732-1867. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press, 2004;
Pierce, Richard A. Russian America: A Biographical Dictionary. Kingston, Ontario: Limestone Press, 1990;
Tikhmenev, P. A. A History of the Russian-American Company. Translated by Richard A. Pierce and Alton S.; Donnelly. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1978;
Bolkhovitinov, Nikolai N. Russia and the United States, 1765-1825. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1975;
Vinkovetsky, Ilya. Russian America: An Overseas Colony of a Continental Empire, 1804-1867. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011.


Estimate: $10,000 - $15,000.

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