Provenance
Presented by Emperor Nicholas II to Gustav Baron von Senden-Birban (1847-1909), Vice Admiral of the Imperial German Navy in 1902 in Reval (now Tallinn, Estonia)
The Manolo March Collection
Sale: Christie’s London, 28-29 October 2009, lot 440
An Imperial gold presentation cigarette case by Fabergé with rounded corners and a diamond push-piece. Overall decorated with translucent yellow enamel over engine-turned sunburst rays emanating from the centre; the lid applied with a diamond-set double-headed eagle and a diamond thumbpiece. The interior engraved in Danish: ‘Von S.Majestaet dem Kaiser v.Russland / Reval 7.8.1902 / G.Frhr.v.S.B.’
August Frederik Hollming (1854-1913) was a Russian jeweller, silver- and goldsmith of Finnish descent. He started working for Fabergé in the 1880s and was one of the firm’s leading goldsmiths and jewellers. He produced a great number of finely crafted gold and enamelled cigarette cases and small jewellery objects. For his biography see Fabergé, Imperial Craftsman and his World, Wilmington 2000, p. 255. A selection of his objects is listed and illustrated in the abovementioned catalogue, cat. 630-662 and in Fabergé/Cartier, Rivalen am Zarenhof, Munich 2003, cat. 219-230.
