The present Imperial presentation snuffbox by Bolin was completed and delivered to the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty in March 1909. In Bolin’s invoice the box has the firm’s sales ledger number 44263 and is specified as a tabatière of gold with brilliants with an impressive price of 1,600 roubles. When the snuffbox was entered into the Cabinet ledger, it received the Number 330 (RGIA. Form 468. Op. 43. D. 1016).

It was officially presented to Count Carl August Ehrensvärd, who was the Swedish Minister of Naval Affairs, on 16 June 1909 during the State visit of Emperor Nicholas II to Sweden. The box was not physically delivered to Ehrensvärd until after the visit, however. The later delivery of Imperial presentations was usual and even the main gift, a nephrite kovsh given to the King and Queen of Sweden, who hosted Emperor Nicholas II was not delivered until a year after the visit.


Emperor Nicholas II and the State Visit to Sweden in 1909

In 1909 the Emperor and his impressive suite visited Stockholm and Tullharn, the favoured summer residence of Gustavus V. The state visit to Sweden of 1909 was more of a courtesy visit than a political necessity. The previous year, the Swedish royal family had visited Russia for Prince Vilhelm’s and the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna the Younger’s wedding at Tsarkoe Selo. As Emperor Nicholas II wrote in a letter to the Swedish sovereign (29 April 1909):

My dear Gustaf,

In a few days a year will have passed that you were here at William’s and Marie’s marriage. Alix and I very often think of you and of the pleasant days we spent together.

It is now t.mes we should pay you our visit.

Journeying on board the Imperial yacht Standart, Emperor Nicholas II and the Empress Alexandra made their visit to Stockholm and the Swedish royal Summer palace Tullgarn in June 1909. During the visit, gifts and awards were administered by both General Mosolov and Prince Orlov. Nearly 1,000 Swedish subjects were given imperial awards, of which 344 individuals were bequeathed orders, 599 decorated with medals and roughly 40 presented with gifts. Every Russian visitor also received an award or gift from the Swedish sovereign.The gift for the Swedish sovereign and his consort was an opulent nephrite kovsh, whose gold handle was embellished with diamonds, emeralds, rubies, a double-headed eagle and polychrome enamel, and engraved with floral ornaments.

Only a handful of the presentation gifts were snuffboxes. One of the most prestigious gifts, a snuffbox with the emperor’s miniature portrait, was presented to Prime Minister Lindman who, the previous year, had been decorated with the Order of St Alexander Nevskii. These were usually awarded to individuals of ranks two and three, according to the list of ranks established in 1722 under Peter the Great. Fabergé were charged with the creation of this piece, though its original creation was considered not costly enough at a value of 1,550 roubles. So, the jeweller Carl Blank was then employed to upgrade the box’s value by 450 roubles with the addition of diamonds.

The present Imperial snuff-box, presented to Count Ehrensvärd, was created by Bolin. The firm completed and delivered the box to Emperor Nicholas II’s cabinet in March 1909. The invoice from Bolin included the firm’s sales ledger number 44263 and is specified as a tabatière of gold with brilliants, priced at 1,600 roubles – a greater value than even that of the original design presented to Prime Minister Lindman. When the Ehrensvärd piece entered the Cabinet ledger it was recorded as number 330. The high price of the present snuff-box is reflected in the opulent cagework of the design, set with brilliants and in its rich enamel. The snuff-box is of an innovative shape, reflecting its date of creation, possibly in emulation of a flag. Moreover it is poignantly enamelled in the blue and white of the Russian Imperial Navy’s ensign to reflect Ehrensvärd’s position as Minister for Naval Affairs.

Cigarette cases, cufflinks, brooches and pendants were presented to lower ranking recipients. The gifts, however, were not all ready at the t.mes of the visit. Instead, they were given over the course of the entire Summer of that year. Even the kovsh for King Gustaf V was not given until Spring the following year (U. Tillander-Godenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System: 1894-1917, Vammalan Kirjapaino Oy, Vammala, 2005, pp. 343-354).

Count Carl August Ehrensvärd

During his lifet.mes , the Swedish Count Carl August Ehrensvärd was an admiral, politician and, between 1907 and 1911, Minister for Naval Affairs. His naval career began in 1878 as sub-lieutenant and ended with his retirement in 1929, having ascended to the position of first adjutant of King Gustaf V, chief of His Majesty’s Military Staff in 1924, and full Admiral in 1926. Throughout his illustrious career, he was the recipient of 19 foreign and 6 Swedish awards and decorations.

In 1883, Count Ehrensvärd married Baroness Lovisa Ulrika (Ulla) Thott, daughter of ryttmästare Baron Gustav Thott and Baroness Ulrika Thott. Together they had three sons, Carl August, Gösta and Augustin.

Presentation Snuff-Boxes with the Imperial Cypher

The Imperial Russian court was renowned for presenting lavish gifts to Russian and foreign dignitaries, a tradition that flourished especially during the reign of Emperor Nicholas II.

Presentation snuffboxes with the Imperial cypher were typically awarded to Russians in state service. They were also awarded to foreign dignitaries as an act of diplomacy or as a means of commemorating special occasions connected to the Imperial family.
During the reign of Nicholas II, only 280 Russian subjects and 90 foreign dignitaries received Imperial presentation snuffboxes with the Emperor's jewelled cypher. These boxes were primarily made by the court suppliers: Fabergé, Hahn, Bolin and Koechli. Of these, only 21 were produced by the firm of Bolin between 1894 and 1917 (U. Tillander-Godenhielm, The Russian Imperial Award System 1894-1917, Helsinki, 2005, p. 179).