Roman Ivanovic Bach Sold at Auction Prices

A RARE RUSSIAN EIGHT-PIECE BRONZE DESK SET BY ROMAN IVANOVICH BACH (RUSSIAN 1819-1903), CIRCA 1860-1880S

A RARE RUSSIAN EIGHT-PIECE BRONZE DESK SET BY ROMAN IVANOVICH BACH (RUSSIAN 1819-1903), CIRCA 1860-1880S comprising: a) an inkwell incorporated into a center piece in the form of a tree stump surrounded by a forest floor, bronze with light brown patina mounted on a Griotte marble pedestal, height: 16.3 cm (6 3/8 in.), width: 33 cm (13 in.), inscribed in Cyrillic R. I. Bach b) a paperweight in the form of a male capercaillie, displaying himself atop a pine log, bronze with light brown patina mounted on a Griotte marble pedestal, height: 14.5 cm (5 3/4 in.), width: 21.5 cm (8 1/2 in.), inscribed in Cyrillic R. I. Bach c) two candleholders: one in the form of a pine tree with a pair of woodcocks feeding near its roots, the other one in the form of a deciduous tree with a blackcock sitting on a branch, bronze with light brown patina, both mounted on a Griotte marble pedestal, height: 21.5 cm (8 1/2 in.), width: 14.5 cm (5 3/4 in.), each inscribed in Cyrillic R. I. Bach d) a pencil holder in the form of a shallow tree stump with a woodpecker sitting on a branch, bronze with light brown patina mounted on a Griotte marble pedestal, height: 8.5 cm (3 3/8 in.), width: 25 cm (9 7/8 in.), inscribed in Cyrillic R. I. Bach e) a rocking blotter in the form of a fallen tree with two coils beneath, bronze with light brown patina, height: 12 cm (4 3/4 in.), width: 17 cm (6 3/4 in.), inscribed in Cyrillic R. I. Bach f) a paperweight or pen tray in the form of branches bending over the forest floor with a female capercaillie sitting on one of them, bronze with light brown patina mounted on a Griotte marble pedestal, height: 12 cm (4 3/4 in.), width: 15.3 cm (6 in.), inscribed in Cyrillic R. I. Bach g) a letter opener with a handle decorated as pine tree trunk with a bug on it, bronze with light brown patina, length: 31 cm (12 1/4 in.) LOT NOTES This rare bronze desk set was most likely produced circa 1860-1880s by Nichols & Plinke Co. in Saint Petersburg. The present lot must have been personally modeled and cast by R. I. Bach, as he was the Head Artist and Director of the prestigious firm at the time. The Kasli factory started to reproduce copies of the present lot in cast iron from the early 1880s, which made the set more affordable and helped it to gain popularity. Later on, the individual items from the set became available for purchase. Presently, several museums in Russia exhibit the cast iron versions of the individual items from the set, while the bronze models hardly come up for for sale or display.