A pair of Empire Russian gilt bronze mounted carved and gilded columns

A fine pair of Empire period Russian gilt bronze mounted carved and gilded mahogany columns, each of a stop fluted circular columnar form, with gilt fluted panels on a gilt bronze mounted base upon an octagonal gilt banded mahogany plinth

Russian, date circa 1810-20
Height 106 cm. each.

Literature: Arcadi Gaydamak, “Russian Empire, Architecture, Decorative and Applied Arts, Interior Decoration 1800-1830”, 2000, pp. 154-5, illustrating a very similar set of columns of identical shape but on a panelled plinth supporting Empire porcelain vases in the Blue Sitting Room in the Yekaterininsky wing of Monplaisir, Peterhof. And pp. 248-9, showing a pair of very similar columns supporting baluster shaped jugs as part of the bedroom suite for a bedroom in the Yekaterininsky wing of Monplaisir, Peterhof.
The design of these columns accords with the Russian Empire style, which because of their simplicity and economy of decoration were perfectly suitable for displaying brightly coloured ornamental works of art, without fear of distracting from their decorative effect.