There is an interesting cigarette case coming up for sale in the Tennants Spring Fine Arts Sale 2014 at the end of the month.
The accompanying letter which can be read on the page detailing the lot ( Lot 394) describes how a Mrs Walter Wall from Charlotte North Carolina was stranded at the hotel Inghleterra. (actually the Hotel d'Angleterre) due to the outbreak of war. At the same time MF arrived, from Berlin, where she had been refused access back to Russia by the Kaiser. It would appear the Dowager Empress and Mrs Wall became acquainted and on leaving for Russia the Dowager Empress made a gift to Mrs Wall of a small cigarette case. The accompanying letter is beautifully written and, I feel, captures the characteristics of MF as described in the book "Little Mother of Russia". The whole story seems to hang together on number of levels. Prince Yussupov confirms his presence in the hotel at the time in his own writings.
I thought some of the members may be interested in seeing this piece which has real Romanov connections and is being auctioned Ina provincial English auction house rather than the lavish Faberge items which come up for sale in Sotheby's and Bonhams. The cigarette case is rather beautiful being well illustrated along with the letter which is dated 1936.