Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich: An Imperial Fabergé Champlevé Enameled Silver Paper Knife Fabergé, Hallmark 1st Silver Artel, St. Petersburg 1908-1917, with scratched inventory number 19509 11-3/4 x 1-3/8 inches (29.8 x 3.5 cm) 192 grams (gross) PROVENANCE: Emperor Nicholas II; Grand Duke Alexander Mikhaikovich; Prince Nikita Alexandrovich; Prince Alexander Nikitich Romanoff; Princess Maria Romanoff. The offered lot is recorded in the accounts of the Emperor's cabinet for Spring and Summer of 1911 as a "paper knife" for which the Emperor paid a total of 70 rubles. It was likely a birthday present for the emperor's cousin and brother-in-law, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, whose forty-fifth birthday was on April 13th of that year. The Cross of St. Andrew was a popular theme in the works of Fabergé for members of the house of Romanov who served in the Imperial navy, and the flag, with its diagonal blue cross on a white ground appears on picture frames, Easter eggs, men's jewelry such as cufflinks and watches, and desk accessories by Fabergé such as this paper knife. Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich was born at Tiflis, Georgia, in 1866, the son of Grand Duke Michael Nikolaevich and his wife, Grand Duchess Olga Feodorovna (born Princess Cecile of Baden). Known as "Sandro" within the family, the young Grand Duke was educated privately, and then went attended the Naval Academy in St. Petersburg from which he graduated in 1885 as a midshipman and was enlisted in the Naval Guards Crew. He circumnavigated the world in 1886, and in 1890-1891 became the first Grand Duke to visit India. In 1893, he with the rank of Senior Lieutenant, he represented the House of Romanoff at the 400th anniversary celebrations of the discovery of the New World in the United States. In 1894 he was promoted to Senior Lieutenant and later Captain, 2nd Class. On July 25th of that year, he married Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna of Russia, daughter of Alexander III. Alexander Mikhailovich had a distinguished career in the Russian navy sailing under the flag of Saint Andrew which made the gift of this knife such a considerate gesture on the part of the emperor. During the revolution, the Grand Duke tried desperately to convince Emperor Nicholas II and his wife Empress Alexandra that the country was heading for disaster, only to be rebuffed. After the revolution, the Grand Duke asked to be discharged from the Naval service, and to be sent to his estate of Ai-Todor in Crimea with his family. The request was granted by the Provisional Government, and after the Bolshevik Revolution in October, the Grand Duke found himself under arrest with his family until 1918, when the HMS Marlborough was sent by George V to rescue the Romanovs trapped in Crimea. In exile, the Grand Duke published two interesting memoirs about his life: "Once A Grand Duke" and "Always a Grand Duke" (appearing posthumously in 1933) which provide interesting insight into the lives of the members of the Russian dynasty. The paper knife traveled with the grand duke into exile, and was inherited by his son Prince Nikita Alexandrovich, and thence descended within the family, an unusual object that remained with the Romanoffs as a symbol of the close relationship between family members quite literally cut by the Revolution. Heritage Auctions thanks Valentin Skurlov for his assistance with the research of this lot. Estate of Princess Maria Romanoff HID03101062020 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

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