An Imperial Presentation jewelled gold and enamel box, Carl Blank for Hahn, St Petersburg, 1899-1908

oval, the lid applied with the diamond-set crowned cypher of Emperor Nicholas II on a royal blue translucent enamel ground over concentric wavy engine-turning within seed pearls, the scarlet red border applied with diamond-set intertwining gold laurel and ribbon, the sides and base of blue enamel, struck with workmaster's initials and K.Hahn in Cyrillic, 56 standard

Presented by Emperor Nicholas II
Sotheby's New York, 8 December 1992, lot 184

Illustrated, G. von Habsburg, Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and his World, London, 2000, cat. no. 907, p. 336

Generally excellent, crisp condition with three small repairs to the enamel, all three at the sides: left side just under the lid, right side just under the lid, and at the back side near the base, all approx. 2-3mm high by 5-7mm long. These are shallow losses, only part of which went down to the metal, those deeper areas having been restored, the shallower areas of loss having been left. These restorations have been moderately successful, visible to the naked eye but do not detract from the impression. There is a light scratch to the enamel of the base, approx. 15mm long. No lid pins lacking. No diamond lacking. Tight lid closure. The crown is ever-so-slightly loose. The interior with very light and fine scratches and pin pricks.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This Imperial Presentation snuff box is one of 26 with the cypher of Emperor Nicholas II supplied by Hahn to the Imperial Cabinet between 1899 and 1904 which ranged in cost from 650 to 1,832 rubles (see U. Tillander-Godenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System, 1894-1917, Helsinki, 2005, p. 181).  Of these, six are recorded in the Cabinet ledgers as being of blue enamel.  The recipients of these were mostly Privy or State Counsellors, their ranks ranging from Class III to Class V.  (For an overview of the Table of Ranks, please see ibid., pp. 9-11.)

Other Hahn/Blank cypher boxes from this period include the blue and pink enamel box, its lid engraved with the details of its presentation to the Bulgarian minister Dimitri Stancioff in 1899, which sold, Christie’s New York, 20 May 2015, lot 22; the yellow and white box, its recipient unidentified, which sold, Christie’s London, 28 May 2012, lot 218; and the blue and yellow box now in the Royal Collection, its original recipient also unknown, which Queen Mary purchased in 1934 and gave to King George V (RCIN 19121).  A non-Imperial Hahn/Blank box similar to the present lot, of the same form and with the same red border, its lid enamelled in pale yellow and centred with a flower basket, sold, Sotheby’s Geneva, 15 November 1988, lot 193.

The jeweller Karl August Ferdinand Hahn, an Austrian by birth, founded his company in 1873.  He became an important supplier to the Imperial Court, awarded the distinction of ‘Purveyor to the Court’ during the reign of Alexander III.  Although less venerated than Fabergé, Hahn’s production was also of the finest quality and similarly prized by members of the Imperial Family.  It was Hahn who created Empress Alexandra Feodorovna’s coronation crown in 1896, invoiced at 76,200 rubles, and it was to Hahn, not Fabergé, that the new Empress went to purchase her first New Year’s present for her new husband in 1895, just weeks after their wedding, a fine blue enamel cigarette case with diamonds, which sold, Sotheby’s London, 27 November 2012, lot 586.

The goldsmith Carl Blank had been known to history simply as CB until his mark was finally identified in recent years.  He was born the son of a blacksmith in 1857.  From 1882 to 1909 he served as Hahn’s head workmaster, establishing his own workshop in 1894.  From 1909 to 1911, he worked in partnership with Hahn until the firm closed.  Blank then founded his own entirely independent business and continued supplying objects to the Cabinet.  In addition to presentation snuff boxes, he supplied diamond insignia and swords, as well as presentation jewellery.  Blank died in 1924.