RUSSKAYA SGOVORNAYA ZAPIS’ - BRACHNYY DOGOVOR [RUSSIAN ENGAGEMENT AGREEMENT – MARRIAGE CONTRACT] Russia, second half of the 17th century, circa 1660–1690 Handwritten private law document on laid paper, written in Muscovite chancery cursive (skoropis’) in iron gall ink. 42 x 15 cm. The document records the betrothal agreement concluded between Lavrenti Porchenets and Nikon Elizarov for the marriage of their children, Karp and Nastassia, and sets out the terms of the dowry, the witnesses (‘poslukhi’) and a monetary penalty (‘zagovor’) of forty roubles. On the reverse, a supplementary attestation (‘roukoprikladstvo’) by a witness. In good condition. The characteristic parallel folds are consistent with the traditional method of preserving 17th-century Russian private documents – folded and stored in family archives (‘gramotnitsy’) – and attest to the document’s authentic use at the time of its creation. A rare example of a Russian private-law marriage contract from the pre-Petrine era. At the buyer’s request, we would be happy to provide a general report on the condition of the lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise potential buyers to carry out their own inspection or to consult a specialist of their choice to obtain a full assessment of the lot’s condition. Descriptions of items provided in the catalogue or by correspondence are for guidance only and should not be regarded as a definitive assessment. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSION REGARDING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.