Bounty Hunter

Moiseikin’s Horn of Plenty does not skimp on details

Greek legends and no small amount of precious materials inspired Russian jeweller Victor Moiseikin to create this, Glory, the second tour de force in his Horn of Plenty series (USD2.5 million/RM11 million). Unique and remarkable, the Horn of Plenty is a reference to the cornucopia of Greek mythology, a horn-shaped worship container overflowing with a bounty of produce to signify harvest, abundance and plenty. In Moiseikin’s interpretation, it is a reminder of the opulence of the Russian imperial court, where beauty was crafted for beauty’s sake, as ornately and as extravagantly as possible.

On a giant natural mother-of-pearl shell sourced from the Indian Ocean, Moiseikin embedded and embellished vines of amethyst, leaves of nephrite, a pineapple of citrines and diamonds, a garnet apple and orchids cut from blue jasper. A giant south sea pearl forms the body of a hummingbird while amethyst grapes cast an ethereal glow, courtesy of the imperceptible movements from Moiseikin’s own ‘Waltzing Brilliance’ setting.

Made from over 4,800 pieces of natural gemstones, Glory also conceals a manual winding clock in the base, studded with over 600 pieces of rare Russain demantoid. The clock is wound manually (with a reserve equal to 8 days) with a golden key encrusted with diamonds and demantoids; when it isn’t in use, the key is kept in a miniature nephrite box.

Glory is the second in Moiseikin’s Horn of Plenty series, the first debuting in 2012 for US$1.9 million (RM8.35 million) with motifs – the nautilus shell, grapes, hummingbird and orchids – that were repeated in the sequel. A third is almost a certainty, and we can hardly wait to see how Moiseikin and designer Anatoly Zubkov will up the ante.

Moiseikin