A single block of green banded jasper was used to sculpt this fruit plate. Each side of the piece has been decorated with silver ram heads and its base was inlaid with gilded silver strips.
Length 33 cm
Width 22.6 cm
Height 16 cm
Anatoly Zhukov has been working with stone for over 30 years and his craftsmanship is proof of the importance of dedication. From the Urals, a region famous for its mineral wealth, his first encounter with stone as a material was at school. However he had many jobs – locksmith, artist, decorator and industrial designer – before finally turning to stone work. Now one of the most acclaimed masters in Ekaterinburg and in Russia, Anatoly remains very modest. “I don’t teach people deliberately, but when people ask me for help, I always try to, so some people consider me their teacher,” he says. In 2013 he won the highest award of the Carl Fabergé Memorial Foundation for preserving and developing the traditions of Fabergé.
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A single block of green banded jasper was used to sculpt this fruit plate. Each side of the piece has been decorated with silver ram heads and its base was inlaid with gilded silver strips.
Length 33 cm
Width 22.6 cm
Height 16 cm
Photo:
This hippopotamus sculpture is part of an ongoing investigation into animal forms and the complicated nature of stone sculpting. The body was crafted from rock crystal, while the teeth were cut out of smoky quartz. Anatoly used two small reddish-brown carnelian stones for the eyes.
Length 16.6 cm
Width 10.8 cm
Height 6.5 cm
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Ground Toad is an example of Anatoly’s ongoing investigation into animal shapes and precious gemstone sculptures. It was crafted from jasper, whose natural colour variations match the amphibian’s skin. Its bright, wide-open eyes made of tiger’s eye give it a sweet appearance.
Length 8.5 cm
Width 6.2 cm
Height 6.6 cm
Photo:
This fish was carved from a single piece of rock crystal. The sculpture stands on a piece of natural chalcedony with added silver, giving the impression of a coral reef surrounded by marine plants.
Length 12.8 cm
Width 10.4 cm
Height 14.3 cm
Photo:
Raven is an example of Anatoly’s ongoing investigation into animal shapes and precious gemstone sculptures. It was crafted from a single piece of natural iridescent obsidian. The beak was made of copper-nickel and the glasses of bronze. The raven stands on a jasper base.
Length 6.5 cm
Width 7.2 cm
Height 9.4 cm