The special, Jeweled Class Order of St. Anne group, awarded to Ettore Ximenes.
Neck Cross, 50 x 43 mm., the arms with convex, black enamel on both sides, flanked by the typical ornaments, but here, profusely set with brilliants, centre medallion in the finest enamel miniature, within outer circlet set with brilliants, the reverse, showing the excellent openwork manufacture of the ornaments flanking the cross and white enameled centre medallion with miniature painted. Crowned monogram, within moulded outer circlet, typical, Russian-style upper loop and ribbon ring with the obverse side completely set with brilliants of different sizes, with original, neck ribbon and in a specially-made, “drop” shaped, wine-red morocco presentation case with night-blue velvet lined inside, with award document to the 2nd Class Cross with Diamonds, awarded to the Italian Sculptor Ettore Ximenes, dated in St. Petersburg, March 21st, 1912, with signature of the Chancellor and the secretary of the Imperial Tsarist Orders, paper, with printed form, completed by handwritten calligraphic text.
An outstanding group, especially for being to the special class, excellent condition.
Note: Ettore Ximenes (1855–1925) was one of the most famous Italian sculptors of his time,
whose works are in many museums and cities all over Europe and the Americas. He is the author of the monument to Tsar Aleksander II in Kiev, most probably the reason for the hereby docu- mented award by special grace of Tsar Nicholas II. I RR!