*China, Imperial, Order of the Double Dragon, First Type (1882-1898), Third Class, Third Grade, neck badge, of Russian manufacture, by A. A. Treiden, St. Petersburg, in silver, silver-gilt and enamels with blue glass centre, with original silk and embroidered neck ribbon, in original silk-lined case of issue with maker’s stamp A. A. TРEЙДEНЪ to inner lid, width 47.5mm, extremely fine, and rare . Alexander Adolf Treiden is known to have worked as Head Workmaster for the famous St. Petersburg court-jeweller and craftsman Karl Hahn - one of Fabergé’s main competitors. Research suggests that having worked for Hahn between roughly 1880 and 1894, Treiden then went on to establish his own independent firm which appears to have continued until 1917. This piece is a very close match, stylistically, to the pieces illustrated on page 16 of ‘Chinese Orders’ by Gongqing Li.

Estimate: GBP 10000 - 15000