A Russian Pictorial Shaded Champlevé Enameled Gilt Silver Buckle after Vasnetsov's Sirin and Alkonost Likely Peter Pavlovich Miliukov, Moscow, 1908-1912 2-3/8 x 2-3/4 inches (6.0 x 7.0 cm) 86 grams PROVENANCE: Romanov Russia, Chicago, Illinois; Acquired from the above by the current owner. The Alkonost is a mythological figure from Slavic folklore, which like the Sirin, has the head of a woman and the body of a bird. The Sirin and the Alkonost are two sides of a single creature; the Sirin (derived in part from the myth of the ancient Greek Sirens), drew men to sorrow and death with her irresistible voice while her antithesis the Alkonost (derived from the Greek demigoddess Alcyone, turned into a bird by the gods) causes men immense joy with her song, which causes them to forget anything else. The Alkonost was associated with the ancient Slavic "Apple Feast" which was gradually assimilated with the Orthodox Christian feast of the Transfiguration. In 1895, Viktor Vasnetsov began work on his work "Sirin and Alkonost: Song of Joy and Sorrow" (1896, State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow) using these mythological creatures as its subject. "Sirin and Alkonost" stands as a testament to Vasnetsov's profound creativity, offering a fresh and cosmopolitan visual iteration of a subject known to most Russians only from folk luboki, or woodblock prints. On January 16, 1896, the painting was completed and acquired by Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, the brother of Alexander III and Governor-General of Moscow. Three years later, the artwork was seen publicly for the first time at Vasnetsov's first solo exhibition. Grand Duke Sergei was assassinated in 1905, and his wife, Grand Duchess Elizabeth went into seclusion at the Convent of Martha and Mary in Moscow which she had founded. After taking the veil, the Grand Duchess sold or donated most of her collections, and among these invaluable gifts was counted the celebrated canvas "Sirin and Alkonost," which she gave to the Tretyakov Gallery in 1908. LITERATURE: For more information on Vasnetsov and the original work of art, please see Lazuko, A.K., Viktor Vasnetsov, Leningrad: Khudozhnik RSFSR, 1990. For more information on the "Apple Feast" and Transfiguration, see Ivanits, L., Russian Folk Belief. M.E. Sharpe: Armonk, NY, 1992. p. 24. Masterpieces of Russian Enamel from an Important American Collection HID12401132022 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved