Maria Nikolaevna: An Imperial Russian Five Piece Silver Tea and Coffee Service With Matching Two-Handled Tray, Sazikov, St. Petersburg, 1857

comprising two teapots, one coffee pot, one covered sugar bowl, one creamer, one two-handled tray with strapwork design on handles; each piece of partly-fluted bulbous shape with gilded interior; with ivory insulators and handles; the sides engraved on one side with Imperial monogram of Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna and on the other side the Russian Imperial state seal surmounted by a crown.

Sotheby's New York, February 29, 1980, lot 161, illustrated

hairline crack on coffee pot handle; ivory material determined by outside expert to be mammoth tusk
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Grand Duchess Maria Nikolaevna (1819-1876), favorite daughter of Nicholas I, was an avid patron of the arts, collector and, eventually, President of the Imperial Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg. Unwilling to leave Russia and give up her faith, she married Maximilian, Duke of Leuchtenberg (1817-1852), who shared her cultural and intellectual interests and whose lower rank allowed her to remain in Russia. The couple formed an important art collection comprising significant works such as Antonio Canova's Three Graces (1813, the State Hermitage Museum) and François, Baron Gérard's Portrait of Empress Josephine (1801, State Hermitage Museum). Maximilian became a member of the Academy of Sciences and President of the Academy of Arts, a position Maria took on after his death in 1852, and Maria oversaw several institutions dedicated to women's education. On their art collection, see Oleg Neverov, Great Private Collections of Imperial Russia, London, 2004, pp. 108-115.