A Fabergé silver-gilt, pearl and green enamel photograph frame, workmaster: Victor Aarne, St. Petersburg, circa 1890

triangular with arrow-head corners and enamelled over a radiating engine-turned ground, the seed pearl oval aperture containing a photograph of Thyra, Duchess of Cumberland, ivory back and silver-gilt strut, marked Fabergé with workmaster's initials and scratched inventory number 1138, 88 standard, in a fitted Fabergé case enclosing a handwritten note in English: From sweet little Olga of Russia for my birthday at Bernstorff 29th Sep: 1899

Purchased by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna (1882-1960) on 21st May 1899
Presented to Princess Thryra of Denmark, Duchess Of Cumberland, 29th September 1899

Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Fabergé Hofjuwelier de Zaren, 5 December 1986 - 22 February 1987, cat. no. 425 
Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Fabergé-Cartier Rivalen am Zarenhof, 28 November 2003 - 12 April 2004, cat. no. 250

Géza von Habsburg, Fabergé Hofjuwelier de Zaren, Munich, 1986, p. 227
Géza von Habsburg, Fabergé-Cartier Rivalen am Zarenhof, Munich, 2003, p. 227

The following condition report has been supplied by: Plowden & Smith Limited, 190 St. Ann's Hill, London SW18 2RT tel + 44 (0)20 8874 4005, fax + 44 (0)20 8874 7248, info@plowden-smith.co.uk www.plowden-smith.co.uk Generally in good condition. Five of the screw heads are worn and the slots are ragged. A 'Biro' mark was noted on the backing. One of the seed pearls is cracked. Two others are discoloured, one with traces of substance on top. Otherwise in good condition.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This exquisite miniature frame containing a photograph of Queen Louise of Denmark was presented by Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna to her beloved aunt Thyra in September 1899. The choice of triangular-formed frame was apposite as, according to Orthodox tradition, "at the deepest level the triangle relates to the Holy Trinity and it serves as a symbol of godliness in Christianity - the all-seeing eye". 

That year the children of King Christian IX gathered at Bernstorff to mark the anniversary of their mother's death. A photograph was taken of the event showing members of the extended Danish Royal family in front of the palace. In the middle of the group there was the seventeen-year old Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, nicknamed "little Olga" by her relatives to avoid confusion with Queen Olga of Greece. 

Benstorff had been Queen Louise's favourite family residence, where she had spent part of the summer for almost fifty years and it was there that she died. The little garden at Benstorff was filled with beautiful flowers and during the final months of her life, Queen Louise loved to sit outside in a chair while she was tended by her daughters and grandchildren.