A Highly Important World War I Russian Imperial presentation GUN METAL cigarette case by Carl Faberge.

The lid is applied with a round gunmetal medallion and silver Cyrillic monogram ‘ СП ‘.

Apparently, this is the only known Faberge GUN METAL case with inscription WAR 1914.

Уникальный портсигар из оружейного металла фирмы Фаберже, подарочный, от Императорского Дома, техника изготовления – чеканка прессом. Из серии ВОЙНА 1914 (1914-1916). Предметы из оружейного металла этой серии, по-видимому, были ранее не известны и не опубликованы.

Size 3 1/4 x 3 3/4 in. (8,3 x 9,4 cm)

The medallion is die-stamped with a tsarist double headed eagle and inscription – WAR 1914 K FABERGE

Condition: some faint traces of surface corrosion.

The medallion is curved along with the case.

Although, this cigarette case is made of a non-traditional material, it has all the qualities that you would expect from Faberge – crisp and elegant shape and design, finely finished surfaces (the case has silky smooth surfaces) and a typical Faberge’s invisible spring.

Faberge produced various objects in copper and brass with double headed Russian eagle during the World War I. They were commissioned by the Imperial Court and were gifts from the Tsar.

The majority were small bowls, tobacco boxes, and tea glass holders.

Below are images of some FABERGE 1914 WAR objects sold by RomanovRussia.com in the past

A Faberge small brass bowl WAR 1914. The center is decorated with a medallion which is identical in design to the medallion on the gun metal cigarette case.

Such bowls are the most common out of all WAR 1914 Faberge objects. They were produced in silver, copper and brass.

A Faberge brass Oil Lamp in Neo-Russian style, although with out inscription WAR 1914, it is almost certainly a WORLD WAR I piece. The lamp is decorated with a double headed eagle, stylized inscription K. FABERGE, triangular shaped ornaments and three cabochon green stones. This is one of the rarest Faberge objects in brass.

A Faberge copper and brass tea glass holder WAR 1914 -1915 with an engraved cipher of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, date 1916 and inscription TSARSKOE SELO

Faberge copper tea glass holders with Empress Alexandra’s cipher are very rare.

A Faberge copper tobacco box WAR 1914 – 1915 with an engraved cipher of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, date 1916 and inscription TSARSKOE SELO

Faberge WORLD WAR I objects with Empress Alexandra’s cipher were given personally by the Empress to wounded soldiers at the Tsarskoe Selo (Tsar’s Village) hospital on Easter day of 1916.

The hospital was set up at the Tsarskoe Selo Palace (the main Imperial residence outside St. Petersburg) and Empress Alexandra actually worked at that hospital as a nurse.