Description:

Eastern Europe, Russia, ca. early 20th century CE. A pretty silver cigarette case with a hinged lid, rounded corners, and horizontal tapering bands. The relief figure rendered in copper is a Chinese / Daoist sage, however close inspection of the interior lid and sides of the figure show that there are additional tiny mounting holes, suggesting this figure is not original to the case and a replacement for a slightly larger decoration. The push clasp is inlaid with a polished emerald cabochon, and the case is a high quality 89% to 90.4% silver purity. The interior is 89% silver with a light gold wash and stamped on the interior of the lid and inside the bottom panel are Russian assay marks. One is an oval with a woman's head in profile with the number "84" to the right and a small Greek letter to the left. This is the kokoshnik mark for St. Petersburg that was used between 1908 to 1926. There is also a Cyrillic maker mark within an oval that is for an unidentified artist. Size: 3.75" L x 2.75" W (9.5 cm x 7 cm); weight: 185.7 grams

Cigarette cases similar to this example often feature the imperial double headed eagle coat of arms, but after the 1917 Russian Revolution and establishment of the Soviet Union, any connection to the tsars was seen as counter-revolutionary and those loyal to the late tsar were generally persecuted. The Chinese figure might have been added to replace the eagle motif to prevent any unwanted attention.

Provenance: private Danvers, Massachusetts, USA collection, acquired by descent; ex-USA collection, acquired before 2000

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#187443

  • Condition: Chinese figure is not original to the case and there are mounting holes visible to the sides, see extended description. Small chip to bezel enclosing the cabochon on the clasp. Minor wear to the surfaces from use, tiny scratches and abrasions. Interior assay marks are discernable.

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August 2, 2024 8:00 AM MDT
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