Sotheby's to Sell Items from Lost Inheritance of the Romanovs

Sotheby's London has just announced it will sell items form a lost inheritance of decorative art items from the Romonov family. The sale is to be held in November and includes nearly 100 lots of property that have not been seen for over 90 years. The sale will include a Faberge jewelled and enameled cigarette case by Workmaster Michael Perchin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903 with an
Estimate of £60,000-80,000

The Sotheby's press release states Sotheby’s is delighted to announce that in November this year it will bring to the market, for the first time ever, the extraordinary and rediscovered collection of personal and rare objects, including many exquisite pieces of Fabergé, which belonged to Her Imperial Highness Maria Pavlovna, Grand Duchess Vladimir (1854-1920) and her late husband, His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich (1847-1909) - son of Emperor Alexander II and brother of Emperor Alexander III.

Deposited at the Swedish Legation in November 1918, the month Sweden broke off diplomatic relations with the Russian revolutionary government, the existence of the trove was unknown for ninety one years and recently surfaced among diplomatic holdings in Stockholm. Sotheby’s has now been asked to sell this collection, which represents one of the most important groups of objects with Romanov provenance to be offered at auction in recent times. It is expected to realise in the region of £1 million.

The sale of this previously unknown and private collection will comprise around 100 lots of cigarette boxes and an extraordinary array of cufflinks, including many fine pieces of Fabergé, that bear ciphers, Imperial inscriptions and coats of arms and even photographs of the Vladimirs and their immediate family. Estimates for the objects in the auction – several of which are in immaculate condition – range from £80-120 up to £4,000-6,000 for a set of cufflinks, and for a cigarette box from £700-900 up to £70,000-90,000.