Rare miniature of Peter the Great found in Arizona, auctioned at Sotheby's

[Mariria]

Rare diamond miniature of Peter the Great auctioned Sotheby's
 
Miniature portrait of Tsar Peter the great in the frame inlaid with diamonds, which for decades have been kept in the Arizona family, not knowing its historical value, will be exhibited today at Sotheby's in New York.

Estimated cost of miniatures is 80-120 thousand dollars, reported news of America.

Portrait of Peter I frames 9 cm oval frame, which tied St. Andrew's tape. The edges of the portrait has a few fairly large diamonds and crowns it with the imperial crown.

Experts believe that about 10 of these miniatures were granted by Peter the Great to his subjects for the exceptional service. Prior to the last known discovery were only five, three of them - in private collection. They preceded the Order of St. Andrew.

In 2001, a miniature from a private collection was sold at Christie's auction.
 
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Редкую бриллиантовую миниатюру Петра Первого выставили на торги Sotheby's
 
Миниатюрный портрет царя Петра Первого в рамке, инкрустированной бриллиантами, который несколько десятилетий хранился в аризонской семье, не знавшей его исторической ценности, будет выставлен сегодня на аукционе  Sotheby's в Нью-Йорке.

Предполагаемая стоимость миниатюры составляет 80-120 тыс. долл., сообщают Новости Америки.

Портрет Петра I обрамляет девятисантиметровая овальная рамка, которая перевязана Андреевской лентой. По краям портрета находятся несколько довольно крупных бриллиантов, а венчает его императорская корона.

Эксперты полагают, что около десятка подобных миниатюр были пожалованы Петром Великим своим подданным за исключительную службу. До последней находки известно было только пять, три из них - в частной коллекции. Они предшествовали ордену Андрея Первозванного.
В 2001 одна миниатюра из частной коллекции была продана  на аукционе Кристи.

http://saint-petersburg.ru

[Sennaya]

http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotDetail.jsp?lot_id=159548083

A miniature portrait of Czar Peter the Great in a diamond-encrusted frame - owned for decades by an Arizona family that didn't realize its historic significance - was auctioned for $1.3 million on Monday.

The 18th-century Russian treasure was purchased by an anonymous telephone bidder for 10 times its presale estimate of $120,000, Sotheby's auction house said.

The estate of the original owner, George Roberts, learned of its importance during an appraisal over the summer. Roberts purchased it in 1951 from a London dealer.

Experts believe that as few as 10 of the bejeweled miniatures were bestowed by Peter the Great on his subjects for their exceptional service to him. Until the latest discovery, only five were known to exist, three of them in museum collections.

In 2001, one of the two in private hands sold for $132,500 at Christie's.

The 3 1/2-inch-high oval portrait sold Monday depicts Peter the Great in a blue cape and the sash of the Order of St. Andrew. The frame hangs from an imperial crown surrounded with diamonds. The reverse side is engraved with a triple-crowned, imperial double-headed eagle.

While believing it had some value because of the diamonds, Roberts' granddaughter, who lives in northern Arizona and did not want to be identified, had no idea it had historic importance, Sotheby's said. After her grandfather bought it, it spent some time in Illinois where he lived and finally ended up in Arizona where the family kept it in a display cabinet.