Silver-gilt hinged spring-loaded cigarette case with a silver push piece. The lid is mounted with a plaque with intertwined Cyrillic letters ‘КЧС’. The body of the case is polychrome plique-à-jour enamel of foliate pattern. Marked on the lip of the case, and on both sides of the interior.
Khlebnikov, an Imperial Russian jewellery firm, was founded circa 1865 by Ivan Khlebnikov (1819-1881) in St.Petersburg but transferred to Moscow in 1871. The firm was famous for producing silver items of originality and highest quality decorated in the traditional Russian style. The firm produced silverware for Imperial palaces in Gatchina and St.Petersburg (1870’s). The firm gained international acclaim receiving numerous awards at Russian and world art fairs. In 1879, Khlebnikov became the official purveyor to the Imperial court of Russia.