Rare Russian Imperial Fan of Empress Maria Feodorovna
(wife of Alexander III, mother of Czar Nicholas II).
Tortoise shell and black lace folding fan, Moscow, 1908-1917. The front guard is applied with a large diamond-set silver cipher of Empress Maria (Cyrillic 'MF' under the Imperial crown) and three rose & lemon gold appliques in the Art Nouveau style. The small diamond-set silver emblem in the form of crossed anchor and axe above the monogram, indicates that the fan was a gift from the Ministry of Transportation, perhaps, presented to the Empress on her birthday. Length 12 1/4 in. (35 cm).
sold
The emblem and cipher are set with 105 rose-cut and brilliant diamonds. The cipher is 1 3/4 in. (4,5 cm) high.
The gold loop is struck with 56 standard (14K)/Moscow assay mark 1908-1917, the ring with master's initials Cyrillic 'VG', probably for Vladimir Gordon.
This fan is featured in the December 2007 issue of ARCHITECTURAL DIGEST (page 247)
Comes with inlaid parquetry wooden fan case.
Empress Maria Feodorovna (1847-1928) with her son Nicholas (later Czar Nicholas II).
Copyright © 1998-2007 RomanovRussia.com All Rights Reserved