Gifts and Prayers: The Romanovs and Their Subjects

Highlighting a private collection on long-term loan that is also a promised gift to the Georgia Museum of Art, this catalogue accompanies the exhibition of the same name, on display at the museum September 3 to December 31, 2016. The House of Romanov ruled imperial Russia for 300 years, until the Russian Revolution, in 1917, which replaced the tsars with a Communist government. The court created elaborate gifts for military leaders, attendants, noble families, and others, as part of a system of patronage that helped it maintain its power. Those gifts make up this display, which includes such treasures as the personal cigar box of Alexander II commemorating his coronation, and diamond-encrusted brooches worn by ladies of the court. The catalogue also includes full-color illustrations of medals, badges and awards of all the Russian Imperial Orders of Chivalry, ceremonial swords, armor, helmets, and an intricately designed silver trophy from the Crimean War, among many other items. Assembled by a single private collector, the collection has been virtually unknown for decades. Curator Asen Kirin, professor of art history at the Lamar Dodd School of Art, has selected nearly 200 objects to introduce the collection and its presence at the museum, which will promote its study in years to come.

Publishing Date: December 2016

204 pages; (hardcover)

ISBN: 978-0915977987