The Cruiser Rurik: A Fabergé silver and enamel frame and silver presentation plaque, workmaster Anders Nevalainen, St Petersburg, 1905

rectangular, the surface enamelled in translucent sky blue over moiré engine-turning within chased leaf tip borders, framing a silver plaque inscribed in Russian: 'The cruiser 1st ship RURIK / 15200 ton displacement 19700 horsepower / Built in Barrow in Furness (England) / factory of Vickers and Co. / 9 (22) August 1905', and engraved with an image of the ship, the reverse with the names of officials of the Russian navy of the shipyard, within a wood border, the plaque struck with workmaster's initials and K.Fabergé beneath the Imperial Warrant, the frame with workmaster's initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, 91 standard  

Presented at the ceremony of the laying of the keel of the Rurik to James Dunn, naval architect and a Director of Vickers, Ltd.

Thence by descent and gift

For a discussion of the cruiser Rurik and the Fabergé silver Rurik plaques, please see Sotheby's London, 9 June 2010, lot 649.  For comparable plaques engraved with images of other ships, please see the exhibition catalogue, Emperor Alexander III/Empress Maria Feodorovna, Tsentralnoy Manezh, St Petersburg, 6 September - 3 October 2006, pp. 308-309.