A partial silver gilt nautical flatware set, from a yacht service made for the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich Grachev firm, workmaster's Cyrillic mark 'KA', St. Petersburg, 1890 comprising five forks and five knives; handles cast and chased with nautical motifs, including elaborately interlaced ropes and twisted cables centred with naval anchor and superimposed with interlaced Cyrillic monogram 'AM' under the Russian Imperial Crown, 84 standard length of knife: 22.3cm (8 3/4in); length of fork: 18.3cm (7 1/8in). (10) Footnotes: Provenance Commissioned for the Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, 1890 Property of Grand Duke Nikita Aleksandrovch, son of Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich and Grand Duchess Ksenia Thence by descent It has been suggested that the service was made for the yacht 'Tamara', a personal yacht that belonged to Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich. In 1890-1891 the Grand Duke completed an around-the-world trip on this yacht, a Grand Tour described in Gustav Radde's book 23,000 miles on yacht 'Tamara'. Voyage of Grand Dukes Aleksandr and Sergei Mikhailovich in 1890-1891', 1892. The design of the present flatware strongly resembles the silver-gilt flatware service designed by architect Ippolite Monigetti (1819-1878) in 1874 for the Imperial yacht 'Derzhava' that Emperor Alexander II travelled on the Baltic Sea. Handles of the flatware were designed with similar elaborate interlaced nautical ropes and cables and centered a 'derzhava' (orb), a State symbol of Imperial power (for published design of Monigetti's service see: V.V. Znamenov, T.N. Nosovich, Russkie Imperatorskie Yakhty 19-20 vekov, St. Petersburg, 1997, p. 38). Given the obvious resemblance, it is most likely that Monigetti's design served as inspiration for the present flatware service. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com