Lot 0050
Fabergé. Silver Ashtray Commemorating the War of 1914, Moscow, 1914
Estimate: 10000-12000€
A Rare Russian Silver Ashtray Commemorating the War of 1914.
Moscow, firm of Karl Fabergé, 1914.
Silver; repoussé, chasing, engraving.
Dimensions: 3.2 x 11 x 11 cm. Weight: 145.7 g.
Marks: Fabergé firm mark and Imperial court supplier warrant; Moscow assay mark; 88 zolotniki silver standard.
The circular silver ashtray is of shallow bowl form. The centre is decorated in relief with the Russian Imperial double-headed eagle, crowned and displayed with outstretched wings, holding the sceptre and orb. Around the emblem is the commemorative inscription in Cyrillic: «ВОЙНА 1914 г.»
This rare object belongs to the distinctive group of wartime production made by the firm of Karl Fabergé during the First World War. With the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 and the decline in demand for luxury jewellery, Fabergé redirected part of its production toward practical and commemorative objects connected with the army and the front. These included field utensils, mugs, samovars, washstands, cigarette cases, cup-holders and presentation ashtrays.
Objects of this type were often made in copper or more modest metals, bearing the Imperial arms and inscriptions such as “War 1914” or “War 1914-1915.” Silver examples are considerably rarer. Despite their utilitarian function and wartime context, they retain the refinement, clarity of design and technical precision characteristic of Fabergé production.
Such pieces were sometimes presented to soldiers and officers of the active army, including during visits of Emperor Nicholas II to the theatre of war.
Starting price: 8000€
Estimate: 10000-12000€
Hammer Price: €
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Lot 0049
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Estimate: 7000-9000€Rare Faberge match holder in the honour 300 years jubilee of House of Romanov (1613–1913). Moscow, Feodor Rückert workshop; retailed by Carl Fabergé, circa 1913.
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Marks: in a rectangular stamp C. Fabergé, under the punch of FR; Moscow assay mark (1908-1917).
A compact silver match holder conceived as a small-scale monument to Imperial Moscow. One side bears a panoramic enamel view of the Kremlin: The reverse is dominated by a double-headed eagle in the Neo-Russian manner, executed in relief and graphic line over a milky white enamel ground. The imperial emblem is enriched with stylised crowns and shield, while the surrounding field is filled with Pan-Slavic ornamental vocabulary: scrolling tendrils, geometric rosettes, and golden accents arranged like a ceremonial textile.
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Lot 0048
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