CHRISTIE'S UPCOMING RUSSIAN WORKS OF ART SALE ON 29.NOVEMBER WILL BE LED BY AN IMPORTANT JEWELED VARI-COLOURED GOLD AND GUILLOCHE ENAMELED IMPERIAL PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOX, MARKED FABERGE, WITH THE WORKMSTER'S MARK OF HENRIK WIGSTROM. IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE TURKISH DIPLOMAT, TURKHAN PASHA, IN DECEMBER 1913 ON BEHALF OF EMPEROR NICHOLAS II PROBABLY TO COMMEMORATE THE END OF HIS FIVE YEAR AMBASSADORSHIP IN ST PETERSBURG. IN 1919 THE SNUFF-BOX CHANGED HANDS FOR THE LAST TIME, WHEN IT WAS ACQUIRED BY THE FAMILY OF THE PRESENT OWNER. IT WILL BE OFFERED WITH AN ESTIMATE OF £400,000-600,000. THE FIRM OF FABERGE WAS AWARDED THE TITLE OF COURT JEWELER IN 1884 AND BECAME ONE OF THE MAIN SUPPLIERS TO THE CABINET OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY. ONLY 54 PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOXES SET WITH A MINIATURE OF NICHOLAS II WERE EVER PRESENTED BY THE EMPEROR. OF THESE, ONLY 19 WERE EXECUTED BY FABERGE, MAKING THESE BOXES EVEN RARER THAN THE FIFTY KNOWN IMPERIAL EASTER EGGS. THE PRESENT IMPERIAL PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOX WAS PURCHASED FROM FABERGE ON 16.MAY.1909 AT A COST OF 2,500 RUBLES AND WAS ENTERED IN THE LEDGERS OF THE CABINET OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY. IN 1911, A PORTRAIT MINIATURE BY VASILII ZUEV WAS SET ON THE COVER. THE SNUFF-BOX WAS LATER PRESENTED ON BEHALF OF EMPEROR NICHOLAS II TURKHAN PASHA ON 12.DECEMBER.1913. IN RUSSIA, THE PRACTICE OF AWARDING JEWELED SNUFF-BOXES CAME IN ITS OWN DURING THE REIGNS OF THE EMPRESS ELIZABETH AND CATHERINE THE GREAT, WHEN SNUFF TAKING DEVELOPED INTO AN ELABORATE SOCIAL RITUAL, L'ART DE PRISER, AND GAVE RISE TO THE NEW ART FORM OF LUXURIOUS SNUFF-BOXES, FOR WHICH THERE WAS A TREMENDOUS DEMAND. THE CUSTOM ENDURED IN RUSSIA LONG AFTER THE FASHION FOR SNUFF TAKING HAD PASSED. A JEWELED PRESENTATION SNUFF-BOX WAS THE MOST FREQUENTLY AWARDED PORTRAIT GIFT DURING THE REIGN OF NICHOLAS II AND WAS AN IMPERIAL AWARD BESTOWED UPON BOTH DESERVING RUSSIAN NATIONALS AS WELL AS FOREIGN DIGNITARIES. NICHOLAS II PRESENTED A TOTAL OF 54 SNUFF-BOXES WITH HIS MINIATURE PORTRAIT, 20 OF THESE TO PROMINENT RUSSIANS AND 34 TO FOREIGN DIGNITARIES.
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