Catalogued as a lantern, this Russian silver, gilt and enamel object is more probably an incense burner, used in the Eastern Orthodox tradition – £7000 at W&H Peacock.
It carries marks for the Moscow silversmith Andrei Postnikov and probably dates to the last quarter of the 19th century. Measuring a substantial 11in (27cm) high, it is decorated using a number of enamelling techniques including champlevé and plique-à-jour.
Some of the enamelling was damaged (and the brass lamp fitting is an unsightly later addition) but it nonetheless fired plenty of bidding at W&H Peacock (17.5% buyer’s premium) in Bedford on September 2.
Estimated at just £150-200, it took £7000.
