The love of beauty, inherent in human nature, is particularly manifest in collecting, which has long been an important part of Russian culture Along with the so-called fine arts such as painting and sculpture, Russian collectors have always shown great interest in the decorative objects which make up human environment Adorning everyday life, озфну reflecting the aesthetic sense of a particular epoch, as well as its tastes, ideals and life-style, these objects combine utilitarian function with purely decorative qualities Furniture, decorative textiles, carpets, tapestries, lamps, clocks, porcelain, china, household utensils and jewellery are all traditional objects of collecting Private collections in St Petersburg offer a wide range of decorative objects made of glass, porcelain, ormolu, silver, gold, mother-of-pearl, precious and semiprecious stones These date from the seventeenth to the early twentieth centuries and include works by eminent artists as well as the products of the leading workshops of Russia and Western Europe.  ОткрыткаИздательство: Интербук-бизнес, 1998 г Суперобложка, 176 стр ISBN 5-89164-036-8.