The champlevé enamel suite was a gift from Princess Alix of Hesse (later Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna) to a Mrs Allen, who was a hotelier at Cathcart House in the spa town of Harrogate. Mrs Allen had given birth to twins during the princess’ visit to take ‘the cure’ as a treatment for her sciatica.
The princess took this as a good omen for her forthcoming marriage to Nicholas, asking to be godmother to the children and that they be named Alix and Nicholas.
The future Empress of Russia attended the baptism in St Peter’s Church and regularly sent them gifts for years afterwards.
In 1994 Nicholas’ son, Michael, gave many of these to the Royal Pump Room Museum in Harrogate but the whereabouts of the tsarina’s gifts to her goddaughter was unknown.
The Fabergé suite which emerged at Bulstrodes was consigned by “direct descendants of the recipient”. One of two identical sets sent to Alix Allen as her first birthday gift in 1895, the lot included a family scrapbook documenting the Russian royal connection to the Allen family plus two handwritten letters signed by Carl Fabergé and telegrams from Queen Alexandra to her sister Princess Victoria, who also stayed at Cathcart House.
Bidding in Christchurch doubled the top estimate. The lot was bought by London dealership Wartski on behalf of the Royal Pump Room Museum. Funds for the acquisition (including a 20% buyer’s premium) were provided by the Art Fund, V&A Purchase Fund, Friends of the Museum and Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery.
