An Imperial Fabergé cigarette case, silver-gilt and enamel, workmaster August Hollming, St. Petersburg 1909.
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The rounded rectangular body enamelled in translucent pale blue over a wave guilloché ground, thump piece set with rose-cut diamonds, marked with in Cyrillic Fabergé with with workmaster's initials, 88 silver standard and scratched inv no 17443. Length 8,5, width 5,5 cm.
Provenance
Private gift from the imperial couple, Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna to King Gustav V at their State visit to Sweden in the summer 1909.
Gifted by King Gustav V to Oscar Lindberg, valet to the King from ca 1915-1950.
Thence by decent
More information
The cigarette case is recorded in the imperial accounts:
Porte-cigarette [blau Enamelle] inv. no. 17443 total price 200 rubles. The cost was divided equally, 100 rubles each, between Nicholas II and Alexandra Feodorovna.
The invoice is dated July 9, 1909, after the delivery of the case and Fabergé wrote in German because the empress did not know Russian. The case was a private gift from the imperial couple to King Gustav V during the visit 26-28 June 1909. As the imperial couple shared the cost, it was private. It was a fitting gift as both Nikolaj and Gustav were heavy smokers.
Bukowskis would like to thank Dr. Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm for the information.