russian damask

[arabella]

I have a linen table cloth and 6 large napkins that are embroidered with an S within or over an O (letter or just a design shape?)  and diadem on the top of the initial.  They were purchased shortly after the revolution when so much of the royal family's belongings were being sold off for practically nothing.   I sent a picture  and description to a person at Sotheby's and she said that it was "a Countly monogram" but said it was impossible to know any more about it.  If someone  out there has an idea of how I could learn more, I'd certainly appreciate it.  Thank you,  Arabella

[Mari]

Arabella, it sounds to me like you need to find an authentic Russian Antiques Dealer. Send a picture or preferable go in to the Shop with a picture...on one of the forums here someone  recommended a Dealer they had bought from...look under the fake artifacts site! Or Secondly if you can find a Museum that has a specialized section in Russian Artifacts..... if no-one here has that knowledge.  but neither of them can appraise that for you which is another option to pay an Appraiser but get some good recommendations before you do that.

[Arkhimago]

Arabella:

A set like you described sold at a Sothebys Auction in Toronto in the Spring of 2006. (They actually made the cover of the auction catalog) You can imagine my surprise to have found an earlier inquiry about them on  this site while doing a search for something else:
 
 Czar Nicholas Napkins   
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hi, we have 8  24'' x 24" Czar Nicholas the second 1914 1916 napkins
with crests and fringe around.
also 18  12" x 12" tea napkins without fringe but with royal crests and dates.
Thye are all in perfect condition.
They were used a few times in Canada only for Royal visitors.
They are all real, brought from Russia after the revolution by a relative ( a very famous Canadian politician)
We want to sell them all..anyone have an idea of value?
Is it best to sell as one package or separate them?
Who is the best to handle the sale?
Sincerely,
BarneyMac

The politician they are referring to was Vincent Massey who eventually became Canada's first native born Governor General. He was at the time a diplomat posted in Russia "post-revolution" and like Marjorie Merriwether Post, picked up a lot of Czarist ephemera, although beyond the napkins and some dinnerware they mainly bought paintings that eventually ended up in several prominent Canadian Art Collections.

I believe that the these napkins originally started at $300.00. I gave up bidding at $600.00 and they eventually sold for around $2000.00. I think that they could have gotten more had they waited and sent them to a New York Sothebys sale of Russian Art only.

They were in really good shape with the two-tone slightly irridescent very tight fine linen weave and the  Nicholas II ciphers were quite distinct in a stylized art deco Cyrillic font. I suspect that one factory or craft guild specialized in this as that I have an Alexander III tea napkin that belonged to his daughter Olga Alexandrovna (that was made into a small pillowcase in the 1960's?!?) in the same font and pattern style which predated these by ten years.

Unfortunately, I would suspect that yours are not in fact Russian Imperial or Noble as that there is no letter "S" in the Russian alphabet. However, it is of course quite possible that they were commissioned by a German, Polish or other noble European house from the Russian manufactory, just as many foreigners commissioned Faberge pieces.

As that you have already identified that it is a Count's coronet, you may want to start from there. You might also attempt to contact Nick Nicholson through this site who could probably immediately tell you their provenance or direct you to someone who could.

Good Luck in your quest.