- 54
A Fabergé Gold-Mounted Gunmetal Cigarette Case, circa 1900
Estimate
12,000 - 18,000 USD
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Description
- gunmetal (steel), gold, sapphire, silk
- Length 3 1/8 in.; 7.9 cm
rounded rectangular, engraved with a diaper pattern and with gold band, with hinged vesta compartment and black and gold silk tinder cord, gold-mounted cabochon sapphire thumbpiece, the interior engraved in Cyrillic 5 April 1892 and Listen... never ... with anybody, struck Fabergé in Cyrillic on flange, contained in fitted wood case of retailer A la Vieille Russie
Provenance
with A la Vieille Russie
Millicent Rogers (1902-1953)
Thence by descent
Millicent Rogers (1902-1953)
Thence by descent
Condition
some slight wear to surface and fraying to silk cord
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.
Catalogue Note
The offered lot from Millicent Rogers' collection so impressed author Ian Fleming with its sophisticated elegance, that it inspired one of the most famous of James Bond's accessories. It was in Jamaica, where Fleming wrote, that gossip columns first published rumors suggesting Fleming was to become Rogers' fourth husband. Family tradition holds that the offered lot served as the model for the ‘broad gunmetal cigarette case’ that was surreptitiously slipped into Bond’s left breast pocket as armor against a bullet in From Russia with Love. Fabergé presented itself as the ideal vessel for Ian Fleming to demonstrate James Bond’s connoisseurship as well as the mystery of Russia, then public enemy no.1. In Property of a Lady, a short story that was later adapted for a scene in the Octopussy film, Bond, having spent the afternoon being dazzled in Wartski, attends a Sotheby’s sale with Mr. Kenneth Snowman as advisor in order to catch a Soviet agent in the process of liquidating a Fabergé Terrestrial Globe. In addition to its obvious elegance and refinement, this gunmetal case is truly an icon of popular culture.