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Lot Essay
Snuff-boxes set with the diamond cipher of Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich are very rare on the market.
According to the research of Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm and Dr Valentin Skurlov, during his 1890-1891 journey to inaugurate the Far East segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Tsarevich Nicholas took six presentation snuff-boxes set with his diamond cipher by Fabergé (worth 680 to 1,590 roubles each) and five boxes set with his miniature portrait, one by Fabergé (worth 1,850 roubles) and four by Koechli. The recipients of four of the snuff-boxes set with a miniature presented during the Tsarevich’s trip are known. Two of these boxes by Koechli have appeared on the market: one was sold by Uppsala Auktionskammare, 27-28 May 2005, lot 112 and another by Christie’s, London, 29 November 2010, lot 233.
Less is known about the presentation snuff-boxes set with Tsarevich Nicholas’s diamond cipher that were taken on the journey. It appears that these snuff-boxes were returned to the Imperial Cabinet and were not presented by the young Tsarevich between 1890 and 1891. Rather Emperor Nicholas II presented some of these snuff-boxes, set with his earlier cipher, between 1894 and 1895—directly following his coronation.
A related example of an Imperial presentation snuff-box set with the diamond cipher of Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich was offered Christie’s, London, 17 December 1998, lot 245. This gold snuff-box was ordered by Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich from Koechli on 7 July 1894 with his initials as Grand Duke. Later that year, on the 10th of December, the Roman numeral ‘II’ was added to the cipher. The stones on the box were then replaced with higher quality diamonds by Hahn and the piece was presented to the State Councilor Skorobogatyi. It was then returned to the Imperial Cabinet for its cash value and presented again on the 20th of February 1895 to Munir-Pasha, the Chief Minister of Ceremony of the Sultan.
It is probable that the present snuff-box by Fabergé was one of the diamond cipher-set presentation pieces ordered for Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich’s eastern journey of 1890-1891 and was never presented.
We are most grateful to Dr Valentin Skurlov for his assistance with research on the above box.
According to the research of Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm and Dr Valentin Skurlov, during his 1890-1891 journey to inaugurate the Far East segment of the Trans-Siberian Railway, Tsarevich Nicholas took six presentation snuff-boxes set with his diamond cipher by Fabergé (worth 680 to 1,590 roubles each) and five boxes set with his miniature portrait, one by Fabergé (worth 1,850 roubles) and four by Koechli. The recipients of four of the snuff-boxes set with a miniature presented during the Tsarevich’s trip are known. Two of these boxes by Koechli have appeared on the market: one was sold by Uppsala Auktionskammare, 27-28 May 2005, lot 112 and another by Christie’s, London, 29 November 2010, lot 233.
Less is known about the presentation snuff-boxes set with Tsarevich Nicholas’s diamond cipher that were taken on the journey. It appears that these snuff-boxes were returned to the Imperial Cabinet and were not presented by the young Tsarevich between 1890 and 1891. Rather Emperor Nicholas II presented some of these snuff-boxes, set with his earlier cipher, between 1894 and 1895—directly following his coronation.
A related example of an Imperial presentation snuff-box set with the diamond cipher of Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich was offered Christie’s, London, 17 December 1998, lot 245. This gold snuff-box was ordered by Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich from Koechli on 7 July 1894 with his initials as Grand Duke. Later that year, on the 10th of December, the Roman numeral ‘II’ was added to the cipher. The stones on the box were then replaced with higher quality diamonds by Hahn and the piece was presented to the State Councilor Skorobogatyi. It was then returned to the Imperial Cabinet for its cash value and presented again on the 20th of February 1895 to Munir-Pasha, the Chief Minister of Ceremony of the Sultan.
It is probable that the present snuff-box by Fabergé was one of the diamond cipher-set presentation pieces ordered for Tsarevich Nicholas Alexandrovich’s eastern journey of 1890-1891 and was never presented.
We are most grateful to Dr Valentin Skurlov for his assistance with research on the above box.