"Stroganoff - collectors of antiquities in Perm
ARTinvestment.RU   28 ноября 2010

An exhibition from the State Hermitage Museum

In mid-November in Perm exhibition "Stroganoff - collectors of antiquities, dedicated to 120 anniversary of the Perm Regional Museum. Exposition of the Hermitage collection dedicated to only one aspect of collecting activities Stroganoff - Collection of Antiquities. Presented 70 exhibits.

collection of Count Stroganoff received by the middle of the twenties of XX century in the Hermitage, significantly enriched the museum collection. The main subject of collecting activities Stroganoff has always been the western European art, especially painting, but the artistic interests of the members of this family were very versatile and comprehensive collection, they were widely represented antique works of art, coins and medals from various countries and historical periods, archaeological finds. The inventory Stroganov collection, dated 1884, refers to standing on tables in the Art Gallery of the monuments of antiquity, ancient Egypt, China and Mexico. Some of these items can be seen in watercolors with images halls of the Stroganov Palace.

Kunstsammlung Stroganoff were established during a time when the fashion for antiquity in Europe and Russia reached its climax. The basis of the ancient meeting Stroganoff, apparently, is a collection of sculptures, acquired by Alexander Sergeyevich in the middle of the XVIII century during his travels in Europe. In addition to genuine antiquities, the assembly includes objects created in imitation of the antique.

next most significant step in the formation of the antique collection began collecting activities Sergei Grigorievich, due to which collection was replenished with archaeological finds. Efforts Stroganov in 1859 founded the Imperial Archaeological Commission, due to the activity which in the Stroganov Palace and the Imperial Hermitage began to come from the ancient northern Black Sea area. Source products Etruscans - the mysterious people, whose civilization is largely influenced by Roman, appear to have been excavated in the tombs of Etruria and Campania, conducted in 1960-70-ies.

• Pendant-jingle in the form of Eagle Warrior
  End XV - beginning of XVI century.
  Mexico
  Gold; technique of lost wax
  Source: hermitagemuseum.org
• mask. The middle of I millennium
  Teotihuacan, Mexico
  stone, obsidian
  Source: hermitagemuseum.org

in the Stroganov Palace were presented even Mexican antiquity. These disparate, apparently, quite accidentally bought at European auctions items are still almost the only Russian art collection of Mexican pre-Columbian era.

Among the treasures that the Hermitage and the whole world must Stroganov, special group of monuments, found in the Perm province, often directly on land owned by Stroganov. This - the world-famous collection of oriental silver. Silver dishes, and vessels were set up in Iran Sassanid era, the royal dynasty that ruled Iran from III to VII centuries., Before the Arab invasion, as well as in the State of Sogdiana, was located in Central Asia, the territory of modern Tajikistan and Afghanistan. Probably in the Middle Ages, silverware brought the Kama area merchants in exchange for furs and other local favorites. Apparently, in the difficult years of the treasures buried in the ground, and in XVIII - XIX centuries, they began to find farmers in all sorts of excavation. Most of the items were found in the treasures, which are usually also included jewelry and coins. During the turbulent history of Iran and Central Asia, most things made of precious metals has been lost, and that Kama was the richest source of Sasanian and Sogdian silverware. Sasanian dishes were highly valued by antique auctions, and in Europe, a whole industry of manufacture of counterfeits, which are often very difficult to distinguish from genuine antiquities. Many museums around the world who purchased the exhibits at the auction can not be sure of their authenticity. And only the monuments of the Hermitage is not cast doubt on its authenticity, precisely because aware of the circumstances under which they were extracted from the Permian land.

Stroganoffs very interested in archaeological finds of native land and carefully collected and store them. Thanks to the collecting activities of the family, especially Stroganov, was formed is stored now in the Hermitage collection of antiquities of the Permian - bronze plates with images of animals, going in our worship of the Finno-Ugric peoples living on lands in the Permian VI - VII centuries.

exhibition will run until March 13, 2011.

Source: hermitagemuseum.org