Mammoth Ivory bust of King Chulalongkorn of Siam Rama V
July 19, 1994
Conclusions by Dr.George V.Vilinbahov, Deputy director of The State Hermitage Museum, and Dr.Irina N.Ochanova, Chief of Section, Division of the History of Russian Culture, State Hermitage Museum, hereby stated as follows:
The object - ivory bust of King Chulalongkorn of Siam, Rama V -presented for examination is 26,5 cm high with a carved inscription on the back: "K.Koch 1900".
The bust is made from mammoth tusk with the remains of the outer brown crust (shadra) visible at the base. The bottom side has numerous large and small cracks along the bone layers. On the surface some cracks are patched up with coarse putty. The artist's signature, written in Russian, gives reason to suppose that the bust was made in Russia. It should be noted that busts made of ivory are traditional for small sculpture of 19-th century Russia. Above all it is characteristic of the St.Petersburg school of art. As a rule they were individual works such as presents or made to order, whose value came both from the cost of the material as well as from the workmanship of the artist. In particular, the ivory busts of Russian Emperors made by Y.Seriakov may be mentioned. Special attention is paid to the artist by the name of K.Koch, which. is not known in special literature on the history of the ivory-carving art.
Koch Karl-Julius-Ioganovich (Fedorovich) was born in 1846, has been granted with his first officer rank on December 22, 1866 and has been transfered into Special Corp of Gendarmery on December 2, 1874. As a colonel he was enlisted within the Department of Gendarmes of the Saint-Petersburg's province.
Koch was occupied with sculpture, modelling as well as with wood and ivory carving. There are records about his master-pieces of the portraits of the Russian Emperors Alexander III and Nikolas II. The portraits are executed thoroughly, the general images and the details of gala uniforms are presented. In this connection the portrait of the King of Siam Rama V doesn't come Out from a general set of the master-pieces of this artist.
The picture of general-major K.F. Koch in the process of carving obviously at his workshop is known. It relates to 1914.
The gala-uniform of the King of Siam Rama V is presented in a lot of pictures taken during the trip abroad in 1907. To our regret we do not know the earlier pictures of Rama V in the same uniform. However we have received from Thailand an information that this uniform existed already about 1896. If so, the uniform carved on the ivory bust is not in contradiction with with the date inscripted on the bust.
In 1898 prince Chakrabongse lived in St.Petersburg and studied at the•Corp de Pages, which he graduated on August 10, 1902 as a cornet of the Hussars Imperial Guards Regiment. He served with the Regiment until 1906 when, having completed his education, the prince returned to Slam.
The order to make the bust of the King of Siam Rama V could most likely be connected with the close relations, existing between the Royal houses of Russia and Siam.
Judging by the way the elements of the uniform and decorations are depicted, it can be suppose that the bust was made not from nature but a lithographic or a photographic portrait of the King.
In view of the above-said, it may be stated that the bust under examination is an authentic work of art and is of undoubted interest from the point of view of the history of art as well as the relations between Russia and Siam.
The present Conclusion is done in the Russian and English languages.
Document copy: Koch Karl Julius Ioganovich
Conclusions by Dr.George V.Vilinbahov, Deputy director of The State Hermitage Museum, and Dr.Irina N.Ochanova, Chief of Section, Division of the History of Russian Culture, State Hermitage Museum, hereby stated as follows:
The object - ivory bust of King Chulalongkorn of Siam, Rama V -presented for examination is 26,5 cm high with a carved inscription on the back: "K.Koch 1900".
The bust is made from mammoth tusk with the remains of the outer brown crust (shadra) visible at the base. The bottom side has numerous large and small cracks along the bone layers. On the surface some cracks are patched up with coarse putty. The artist's signature, written in Russian, gives reason to suppose that the bust was made in Russia. It should be noted that busts made of ivory are traditional for small sculpture of 19-th century Russia. Above all it is characteristic of the St.Petersburg school of art. As a rule they were individual works such as presents or made to order, whose value came both from the cost of the material as well as from the workmanship of the artist. In particular, the ivory busts of Russian Emperors made by Y.Seriakov may be mentioned. Special attention is paid to the artist by the name of K.Koch, which. is not known in special literature on the history of the ivory-carving art.
Koch Karl-Julius-Ioganovich (Fedorovich) was born in 1846, has been granted with his first officer rank on December 22, 1866 and has been transfered into Special Corp of Gendarmery on December 2, 1874. As a colonel he was enlisted within the Department of Gendarmes of the Saint-Petersburg's province.
Koch was occupied with sculpture, modelling as well as with wood and ivory carving. There are records about his master-pieces of the portraits of the Russian Emperors Alexander III and Nikolas II. The portraits are executed thoroughly, the general images and the details of gala uniforms are presented. In this connection the portrait of the King of Siam Rama V doesn't come Out from a general set of the master-pieces of this artist.
The picture of general-major K.F. Koch in the process of carving obviously at his workshop is known. It relates to 1914.
The gala-uniform of the King of Siam Rama V is presented in a lot of pictures taken during the trip abroad in 1907. To our regret we do not know the earlier pictures of Rama V in the same uniform. However we have received from Thailand an information that this uniform existed already about 1896. If so, the uniform carved on the ivory bust is not in contradiction with with the date inscripted on the bust.
In 1898 prince Chakrabongse lived in St.Petersburg and studied at the•Corp de Pages, which he graduated on August 10, 1902 as a cornet of the Hussars Imperial Guards Regiment. He served with the Regiment until 1906 when, having completed his education, the prince returned to Slam.
The order to make the bust of the King of Siam Rama V could most likely be connected with the close relations, existing between the Royal houses of Russia and Siam.
Judging by the way the elements of the uniform and decorations are depicted, it can be suppose that the bust was made not from nature but a lithographic or a photographic portrait of the King.
In view of the above-said, it may be stated that the bust under examination is an authentic work of art and is of undoubted interest from the point of view of the history of art as well as the relations between Russia and Siam.
The present Conclusion is done in the Russian and English languages.
Document copy: Koch Karl Julius Ioganovich
