Collector
Aleksandr Ivanovich Nelidov
1838–1910 · Russia
Russian ambassador at Rome whose collection of ancient gold jewellery, catalogued by Ludwig Pollak in 1903, included about fifteen pieces given as from Cyprus, most bought in autumn 1901.
Biography
Aleksandr Ivanovich Nelidov (printed Nelidow) was Russian ambassador at Rome from 1897 to 19032. His collection of ancient gold jewellery was catalogued in 1903 by Ludwig Pollak as Klassisch-Antike Goldschmiedearbeiten im Besitze Sr. Excellenz A. J. von Nelidow1. In his French preface Nelidov says the pieces come from the European Orient, meaning the Kingdom of Greece and the Ottoman Empire. About a quarter came from a collection formed some decades earlier at Constantinople by Mr Whittall, and the rest he assembled himself in under fifteen years, buying what was for sale or what agents reported and sent. He never excavated, so no piece has a certain findspot, and he relied on the sellers' statements1.
About fifteen entries are given as from Cyprus. They are mostly gold ear-rings, among them pairs with bull's-head and mouflon-head terminals, with one pair set with an agate intaglio and a vine pendant, together with a crushed granulated gold ball, silver ear-rings ending in animal heads and an electrum zebu. Pollak marks most of them "Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)", and queries the Cypriot origin of a lion-head ear-ring bought at Constantinople. The catalogue does not say who sold the autumn pieces1.
After the Revolution the collection passed to the Soviet state, and the Hermitage sold it at Sotheby's in London in 1931; some of the goldwork is in the Fitzwilliam Museum5. He is variously given as born on 22 June 1838 or 11 June 1835 and as dying in September 1910 or on 5 September 19102,3.
Life and work
- 1901Pieces catalogued as 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)': gold ear-rings, a gold bead and others, entered the collection (G 488-491, 493-496, 502)
- 1903Ludwig Pollak published his collection of classical gold work, with a French preface by Nelidow: formed by himself in under fifteen years by purchase through agents, a quarter of it from C. W. Whittall's Constantinople collection, never excavated by him
- 1931The collection, obtained by the Soviet state after the Revolution, was sold by the Hermitage at Sotheby's, London; some goldwork is now in the Fitzwilliam Museum
LondonJack Ogden (1992). Ancient Jewellery (Interpreting the Past). p. 13, p. 13
Through their hands
1 record- n.d.Collection
CollectionThe Eros pin was formerly in the von Nelidow Collection in Rome.
A figure of Eros fixed to a modern gold pinNo. inv. G 75Jackson 2006
Connections
1 personScholarship
- Catalogued the collection of Ludwig PollakKlassisch-Antike Goldschmiedearbeiten (1903) Ludwig Pollak, 1903, Klassisch-Antike Goldschmiedearbeiten im Besitze Sr. Excellenz A. J. von Nelidow, Kaiserl. Russ. Botschafters in Rom, title page1903
Objects
Gold ear-ring with hollow bull's-head terminal, twisted hoop, collar and kymation, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4941901
Gold ear-ring with smaller bull's-head terminal, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4951901
Gold ear-ring with bull's-head terminal, wire-wound hoop, 'Aus Cypern'
From CyprusG 128
Gold ear-ring with mouflon-head terminal, 'very delicate, fine', 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4931901
Gold ear-ring, solid round hoop with ball berry, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4961901
Pair of gold hollow hoop ear-rings, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'; Pollak compares Myres, Cyprus Museum catalogue no. 4062 (Hellenistic)
From CyprusG 4901901
Pair of smaller gold hoop ear-rings, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4911901
Pair of gold hoop ear-rings, similar, 'Aus Cypern'
From CyprusG 492
Pair of gold hook ear-rings with oval grey agate intaglio (stars and indistinct signs) and a mobile vine pendant, 'Aus Cypern'
From CyprusG 206
Pair of gold notched hoop ear-rings with a soldered round shield, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4881901
Pair of similar gold ear-rings, not notched, 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'
From CyprusG 4891901
Crushed hollow granulated gold ball (part), 'Aus Cypern (Herbst 1901)'; compared with Excavations in Cyprus pl. XI
From CyprusG 5021901
Pair of silver penannular ear-rings ending in animal heads, 'Aus Cypern'
From CyprusS 5
Electrum humped bull (zebu?) on an oblong base, 'excellent work of the 4th century BC', 'Aus Cypern'
From CyprusG 148
Gold ear-ring ending in a horned lion's head, bought at Constantinople, 'Aus Cypern?'
From Cyprus?G 140
Mentioned in
5 mentionsDocuments · 4
- Hellenistic Gold Eros Jewellery: Technique, Style and Chronology
Collected
The Eros pin was formerly in the von Nelidow Collection in Rome.
Jackson 2006
- Ancient Jewelry and Archaeology
Calinescu 1996
- Etruscan Treasures from the Cini-Alliata Collection
Buranelli & Sannibale 2004
- Αφιέρωμα στο Βάσο Καραγιώργη / Studies in Honour of Vassos Karageorghis
Ioannides 1992
- People · 1listed under Connections
Sources
- 1.Ludwig Pollak (1903). Klassisch-Antike Goldschmiedearbeiten im Besitze Sr. Excellenz A. J. von Nelidow, Kaiserl. Russ. Botschafters in Rom. Karl W. Hiersemann, Leipzig.
- 2.Wikipedia (2026). Aleksandr Nelidov. Online
- 3.Wikidata (2026). Aleksandr Nelidov (Q2503315). Online
- 4.A. Calinescu (ed.) (1996). Ancient Jewelry and Archaeology. p. XXV.
- 5.Jack Ogden (1992). Ancient Jewellery (Interpreting the Past). p. 13.
- 6.Monica Jackson (2006). Hellenistic Gold Eros Jewellery: Technique, Style and Chronology. Oxford, Archaeopress.
- 7.Ludwig Pollak, 1903, Klassisch-Antike Goldschmiedearbeiten im Besitze Sr. Excellenz A. J. von Nelidow, Kaiserl. Russ. Botschafters in Rom, title page.
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