Inherited object, Am asking for help identifying

[Vibeke]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first post, hopefully I am posting it in the appropriate place.
I have inherited a beautiful copper pitcher, that I assume is a bathwater pitcher as it is very large, roughly 20 inches tall and quite wide at the base. It has a band of ornately formed brass at the top of it and has an attached lid.
The pitcher has the Imperial Crest engraved on it, but the image on the shield is a cross (German Red Baron shaped cross). I have not noticed any other markings.
The pitcher was a gift to my great grandmother, a Danish noblewoman, from Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark). I know that they were neighbors and shared the same social circle, but I do not know why the gift was given or in what year.
I plan to post a picture of it here, assuming I can learn how!
My question is this:
Does anyone on the forum know what it would have been used for, how old it might be, and if it is the sort of thing that I should Insure, and more importantly, is it something that by rights should be returned to Russia?
Thanks in advance for any ideas you offer.

[Forum Admin]

You will need to post good pictures. I'm sure that I can help, as can many others here. You will need to open a photobucket, imageshack or snapfish account, we don't permit direct uploading of images to the forum.

Go to New Users section for details on posting pics

FA

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Vibeke,

Yes, I would insure the pitcher.  A large copper object would be worth more today than at the beginning of the 20th century.
Also, if this was a gift, then it belongs to your great-grandmother & her decendants by inheritance, and Russia would have no claim on it.
You could however, if you so choose, donate it to a Russian museum...  But, I'd keep it if I were you!!!

Larry

[Vibeke]

Hello all and thanks for the help, here are pics of the pitcher. Any help you can offer is appreciated.
-Vibeke



[IMG]

[Vibeke]

Sorry, there are 3 pics if you click on the link.

[Vibeke]

Hello Everyone,
Does anyone have any ideas for me on this pitcher? Any ideas why the crest has the cross instead of the regular image? Any idea of age or value?
Thanks so much!

[Constantinople]

The age is probably over 100 years old and the insignia may be a design and not a cypher.  It does not look like the coat of arms, merely part of it. Is the cross a Russian Orthodox one?  If so it could have been a picture from a Russian Othodox church establishment.  Is there a cypher on the underside? The material, copper would probably not be used in a palace except maybe for staff or in a kitchen.  These are basically assumptions.