Russian works of art hit auction block

A multitude of valuable Russian crafts, most from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, will find new homes at a Christie's auction house exhibition and sale Monday.

Many of the pieces on display come from the late House of Faberge, a family jewelry firm known for its decorative, bejeweled eggs that were popular among royalty in Russia and throughout Europe.

Other works include several porcelain containers by the master craftsman Feodor Ruckert, as well as swords, animal statues, plates once owned by Emperor Alexander II and more.

"This is a signature neo-Russian style," Mark Moehrke, vice president and director of Russian art at Christie's, said as he showcased the costliest items at the exhibit. "They're quite rare and very good examples of their type."

The most-expensive item is a small table casket by Ruckert, colored in very fine detail, with a miniature rendition of the painting "Tsar Ivan the Terrible Admiring Vasilisa Malentieva" by Grigory Sedov. It's expected to sell from $200,000 to $300,000 or beyond. Faberge's silver-gilt cloisonné casket took the second-place estimate, at $180,000 to $250,000.

Most of the assembled works come from U.S.-based owners even though Moehrke said that their appeal is global. Purchasers come from the United States and Europe and include many wealthy Russians eager to claim some of their homeland's historical treasures.