A 19th Century Victorian Russian silver gilt snake bangle. T...

Hammer

£480

A 19th Century Victorian Russian silver gilt snake bangle. The bangle made from woven gilt silver wires with engraved detailing to the head, set with red stone cabochon eyes. Interior circumference approx 17.5cm (flexible) approx 0.8cm wide. Weight 31.0g. Russian silver mark for Moscow to tail. 

Provenance - Private Family Collection - The property belonging to  Frederick and Lucy Cazalet who fled the Russian Revolution in 1917 with a single trunk of items. This item was one of the few items in that trunk that they took with them. 

Frederick and Lucy Cazalet were the descendants of the Hopper family who founded the Shipock Ironworks in Moscow and the Muir / Mirrielees families that created the great department store in their name. Both the Hopper family and the Muir / Mirrielees were of Scottish origin and were prominent families in Russian business circles.

Frederick Cazalet (1871-1945) married Lucy Hopper (1870-1956) in the Anglican Church in Moscow in 1901. Both were born in Moscow. Lucy was an authority on Russian pewter and porcelain.

Fredrick and Lucy Cazalet managed the great Muir and Mirrielees department store in Moscow until they fled the Russian Revolution in 1917. The department store was nationalised after the Revolution and became TsUM.