The tariff classification of a hardstone sculpture from Russia.

NY E80533 April 8, 1999 CLA-2-97:RR:NC:SP:233 E80533 CATEGORY: Classification TARIFF NO.: 9703.00.0000 Ms. Genevieve Wheeler Christie’s 502 Park Avenue New York, NY 10022 RE: The tariff classification of a hardstone sculpture from Russia. Dear Ms. Wheeler: In your letter dated March 24, 1999, you requested a tariff classification ruling for a sculpture created by Georgii Konstantinovich Savitskii. Georgii Konstantinovich Savitskii, born in 1887, was a Soviet Russian artist. He graduated from the Academy of the Arts, Moscow and in 1947 became a member of the Academy of the Arts of the USSR. For Faberge he was both a designer carrying out individual commissions as well as a carver of hardstones. The sculpture to be imported is a carved hardstone figure of an accordion player seated on a bench, carved from various semi-precious polychrome stones. Before his death in 1949, Mr. Savitskii was both a professor of sculpture and academician with the Academy of Arts, Moscow. Based on the submitted literature, Mr. Savitskii’s works have been exhibited in private as well as public collections and he is recognized as a professional artist of the free fine arts. The applicable subheading for the hardstone sculpture by Georgii Konstantinovich Savitskii will be 9703.00.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS), which provides for original sculptures and statuary, in any material. The rate of duty will be free. This ruling is being issued under the provisions of Part 177 of the Customs Regulations (19 C.F.R. 177). A copy of the ruling or the control number indicated above should be provided with the entry documents filed at the time this merchandise is imported. If you have any questions regarding the ruling, contact National Import Specialist Lawrence Mushinske at 212-637-7061. Sincerely, Robert B. Swierupski Director, National Commodity Specialist Division