LONDON.- A charming portrait by the Russian artist Philip Maliavin was top lot at Bonhams Russian Art sale in London today (Wednesday 5 June). Portrait of a Young Girl in a Pink Dress achieved an impressive £312,563.

During the 1920s and ’30s Maliavin travelled all over Europe and the USA fulfilling commissions from wealthy and aristocratic families. Stylistic evidence suggests that Portrait of a Young Girl in a Pink Dress was painted in the mid-late 1920s, and although the identity of the sitter is unknown, she is likely to have been a member of a European aristocratic family.

Head of Bonhams Russian Department Daria Khristova said, ‘Portrait of a Young Girl was a truly exceptional work by Maliavin and we are delighted to have achieved a robust price.’

Elsewhere in the sale, the group of diminutive lapidary carvings of animals by from the collection of Caroline, Lady Oppenheimer made a total of £816,988, exceeding all their estimates. Highlights included:

• A jewelled nephrite frog pillbox by Fabergé, workmaster Michael Perkhin, St. Petersburg, before 1899, achieved an impressive £225,063 after an estimate of £50,000-60,000.

• A grey agate figure of a mouse set with silver-mounted diamonds by Fabergé, circa 1900, achieved £175,063 (estimate: £40,000-60,000)

• A large Kalgan Jasper figure of a hippopotamus by Fabergé, circa 1900. Sold: £100,063 (estimate £30,000-40,000)

• A rhodonite figure of an elephant by Fabergé, circa 1900. Sold: £93,813 (estimate £15,000-20,000)

• An aventurine quartz figure of a kingfisher by Fabergé, workmaster Henrik Wigström, St. Petersburg, 1899-1908. Sold: £62,563 (estimate £30,000-40,000)

Other highlights in the sale included:

• Couple with scissors by Oleg Tselkov (Russian, born 1934). Sold: £125,063

• Etude d’après Corot. Baigneuses au bord de la Marne (Paris, 1900) by Ivan Pavlovich Pokhitonov. Sold: £87,563.

• Autour de l'étang de Matrionovka by Ivan Pavlovich Pokhitonov, 1882. Sold: £56,313.