Lot 1876: Karl Faberge. A rectangular silver gilt small

Karl Faberge. A rectangular silver gilt small frame. With light blue guilloche enamel decoration and surmounted with a bow. Ivory back with scroll hinged strutt. Missing screws. Marks: mark to the base, Faberge (cyrillic) with maker's mark 'B A' for Johan Victor Aarne, and Kokoshnik with '88' Zolotnik mark. Two other marks to the strutt 'B A' and '88'. 7.3cm high. Scratched inventory mark next to the marks 2752 Provenance for lots 1874, 1875 and 1876. These items were inherited by the current owner from his grandfather Major General Geoffrey Brooke CB,DSO (& BAR), MC. At around 1906 General Brooke who was then serving with the 16th Royal Lancers was attached to the British Embassy in St Petersburg as part of the military staff. In 1907 he married Veronica Von Mechin, daughter of General Baron Saltz who had a distinguished military career while serving with the Russian army fighting the Poles and the Turks. Despite immense family wealth (her family home in St Petersburg is illustrated below) few items were acquired by General Brooke with the exception of these three lots. A photograph of Veronica Brooke together with lots 1874 and 1876 appears on the front cover.