"ANNA NOVA"

From 8 June to 12 August the museum is presenting works made by one of the leading artworkshops in Russia – ANNA NOVA Jewellery House.

ANNA NOVA Jewellery House was established in Saint Petersburg in 2004. His founders Anna and Oleg Barinovs see their mission in preservation and development of high artistic traditions of the national stone-carving and jewellery arts.

ANNA NOVA Jewellery House develops its work in several direction: jewellery and stone-carved interior miniature, objects de luxe, limited jewellery collections, and themed orthodox items.

Significant place in its work ANNA NOVA Jewellery House gives to making block stone-carving plastic – one of the most complicated stone-carving techniques both in artistic and technical sense, when a miniature sculptural composition is gathered from volumetric fragments of colour stones. Tracing back to relief commesso di pietre dure, this technique requires fine precision while fitting materials.

Work on flower compositions is one of the most complicated in stone carving. Stones are often refined, "thinned" to translucency, ceases to be perceived as a solid material. Much like the famous stone-carved bunches of flowers by Faberge Firm, works by masters from ANNA NOVA Jewellery House preserve this fascinating passing beauty of flowers, their quality to "revive" in the game of different shades of light. At the same time they have the conditionality achieved by nuances of plastic, use of scapes from gilded or patinated silver, inserts of precious and semiprecious stones, plique-a-jour enamel.

Animalier art is one of the leading genres in the work of ANNA NOVA Jewellery House. The scope of animals in the artists' works is remarkably various. And in this aspect, masters from ANNA NOVA, undoubtedly, continue traditions of animalier genre, splendidly featured at the turn of 19–20th centuries by the Faberge Firm.

One of the directions of ANNA NOVA's work is creation of exclusive jewellery. Almost all technologies are used there: casting, metal engraving, enamel on guilloche background, stone carving, unique kinds of precious stones setting, miniature Florentine mosaic. Usually, these works are made in one copy and every detailed is worked by master's hands.

Works by the jewellery house have been highly estimated by professionals and the museum community, awarded with diplomas at numerous contests, demonstrated at the most prestigious exhibitions including the leading museums in Russia and abroad. They are in the collection of the State Hermitage. Owners of the jewellery house have their own rich collection.