Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna-elder, wife of GD Wladimir

[Robert_Hall]

So true, TH. She does seem unclear on the concept, doesn't she?

[Terence]

Sort of funny............  outside ravage and revolution.... and the old bag has nothing better to do than grabbing her cigaretteboxes and cuff links together =)

You have a point there TH.

As far as heirs, I did a search and it looks like the inheiritance should be split 21 ways.  Some parts of those 21 will be split again, but basically she had 21 great grandchidren who are living or have left heirs.

Regards,
T

[Lucien]

Well the proceeds are going to spread very thinly, are they not ? So many people, so little jewellery !!

I think it may have been better if it was left to a museum.

After 91 years, for each of these people to recieve a pittance each, it hardly seems worth it.

It apparently spreads better then expected after all,I mean,$36 million worth of spreading,that will cover
dining out at the local chinese wouldn't it...

http://www.russiatoday.com/Art_and_Fun/2009-11-18/diamonds-saphire-dutchess-sothebys.html?fullstory

[Robert_Hall]

The auction house will charge  probably 20% commission on the final sale price of each lot.  On top of thet, VAT, which varies from country to country but in the UK it is 17.2/2 % last I counted.  There is also a fee for just selling the stuff, that  might depend on the valuation. This all goes out of the selling price realised.  Disperse what is left of the money and the heirs will have to deal with income tax and, sometimes, inheritance tax. There may also be another fee to disperse the funds. Those cufflinks and such had better bring in some pretty hefty prices! And, they have no  fabulous parures on offer!

[newfan]

there was another piece of GD vladimir jewelery sold in sothebie's in geneva..it went for 3 times the estimate price (17nov,lot#425)
i try to post pic here but i still dont know how

[Robert_Hall]

I  was referring to the London auction, which I may or may not attend, but the price guide I gave previously [for the auction itself] is fairly universal for any of them.

[newfan]

the jewelery of GD Maria sold for $350 000...not 35 mil...the whole auction was more then just 1 piece of GD Maria

[PAVLOV]

Well I must confess, that were I in the same position, I would also grab my collection of watches and cufflinks and run. Why leave them for the rampaging hordes ? They would certainly not have appreciated it.
I think that GD Vladimir knew that it was pointless even to try and hide her things. She was one of the last to leave, and probably realised that the situation was hopeless, and that she would never return to Russia. I think she was a practical person. Perhaps  Felix Youssopov should have done the same. Look what happened to his family jewels !  ( Excuse the pun)

But then I am just  materialistic, and I LOVE cufflinks.

 

[katmaxoz]

A couple of pictures of Marie Pavlovna that I hadn't seen before here I don't think.

[Marc]

Love the second one...new one for me!

[Svetabel]

A couple of pictures of Marie Pavlovna that I hadn't seen before here I don't think.

The 1st one is quite-known, seen before. The second is a rare find.

[Labuanbajo]

     "On Monday, {November 30, 2009} Sotheby's in London is selling about 100 cigarette boxes and cufflink pairs that belonged to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, an aunt of the last czar. After her nephew was killed, she fled to France, leaving behind two cotton pillowcases full of diamond-encrusted baubles, which were entrusted for safekeeping to Swedish diplomats in Petrograd. The duchess died in 1920 without reclaiming the treasure, and last year it turned up in storage in a government office in Stockholm.

      Her heirs are selling the collection, including the pillowcases, with price estimates for most pieces around a few thousand dollars each. The jewels suit a lifestyle that required multiple changes of outfits daily: the duchess's husband, Vladimir, wore rose-gold cufflinks shaped like bullets when he hunted, then perhaps switched to blue enamel anchors for yachting excursions. After the couple's fifth child was born, someone had a silver-and-sapphire cigarette box made for the family with a joking, unintentionally prophetic inscription for this doomed dynasty: 'Enough children.' "

NY Times, November 27, 2009 p. C37

see the on-line catalogue:  http://catalogue.sothebys.com/events/L09674-8

[blessOTMA]

This auction may do better than people think...there is a  new , wealthy " nobility"  in Russia who
imo,  would love this items.

[newfan]

here is the link to the results of the auction....very nice
http://www.sothebys.com/app/live/lot/LotResultsDetailList.jsp?action=P&start_lot_row_num=101&end_lot_row_num=200&event_id=29796&sale_number=L09678&lots_per_page=100&show_lot_name=Y

[grandduchessella]

Does anyone know about, or have a photo of, the sapphire & diamond parure mentioned in the following:

A Sapphire and Diamond Demi-Parure from circa 1900, inherited from Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna by her daughter Princess Elena of Greece and Denmark, Grand Duchess of Russia (1882-1957), had been consigned by its present owner, a Member of a European Imperial Family. Estimated at CHF 140,000 - 180,000 - US$ 137,000 - 176,000, it sold for CHF 482,500, $478,215, €320,086. The jewels have an extremely important historical value as they left Russia just before Maria Pavlovna’s flight from St Petersburg during the 1917 Revolution. The Grand Duchess of Russia recovered them over two years later upon her arrival in England. The group comprises a brooch of plaque design, set at the centre with an oval Burmese sapphire within a border of cushion-shaped diamonds; a pair of ear clips en suite.

It was sold by Sothebys in May 2004.