The French Minerva hallmark for silver and import marks for St. Petersburg. Handles decorated with interlace pattern and coat-of arms of Yusupov family, case with monogram JB. 91 standard, length 19,5 cm. Weight 950 grams.
Prince Nikolai Yusupov (1827-1891), an adviser to the Russian Embassy in Paris, commissioned the well-known silversmith Alex Gueyton to create a richly ornamented silverware with Russian medieval ornaments and the coat of arms of the Yusupov family. This silverware later became known as the 'Scandinavian service' and was eventually moved to the family's residence in Russia. Part of the extensive service was later sold by the Soviets at auctions in the West in the late 1920-early 1930s.