Imperial Hermitage Jewelry Acquired from the Hochmanns in 1898–1899
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18688/Keywords:
Greek and Roman jewelry, Hochmann Brothers, Imperial Archaeological Commission, forgery of antique jewelryAbstract
This paper presents the results of a study of jewelry items purchased by the Imperial Hermitage from the famous antique dealers, the Hochmann brothers, in 1898 and 1899. Among the large number of various items received from Hochmann in 1898 were a pair of ring earrings with lion heads, a silver spoon, and a pair of medallions with a relief image of a warrior’s award, decorated with grain-shaped pendants. A thorough analysis showed that the first three items are genuine, while the medallions are an undoubtedly counterfeit, with the use of some antique elements. The pair from the Hermitage collection is stylistically similar to the pendants sold by Hochmann to the Louvre in 1896. They were probably made in the same workshop. In 1899, a gold figurine of a reclining lion was purchased, and its style casts doubt on its authenticity. A pair of ring-shaped gold earrings, adorned with a young bull’s head at the end, was also purchased. Upon visual inspection, it appears that the horse bridle placed on the bull is not consistent with antique art. The interlacing of the bridle straps is decorated with blue paste to make the item brighter and attract the attention of potential buyers. The analysis of the colored paste and the filling mass of the hollow bull heads conducted by the Hermitage’s Department of Scientific and Technical Expertise showed that they were made during the modern age.
Items purchased from collectors and antique dealers that lack archaeological provenance require careful study. It is remarkable that even among exhibits sold by famous counterfeiters, you can find genuine items. At the same time, 19th-century forgeries attracted the attention of specialists due to their status as exemplars of unconventional artistic creativity.
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