Bibelotslondon Ltd is a UK registered company based in London Bridge dealing in ephemera and curiosities from Britain and around the world. Our diverse inventory is carefully chosen and constantly evolving. We work very hard to offer the highest quality works at competitive prices. Our inventory is listed online, and we strive to keep our website completely up to date, so our customers can easily check availability. We believe in offering clients items that are unique and rare for aficionados of the antique and collector's world. Bibelot is a late nineteenth century word derived from the French word bel ‘beautiful’, meaning a small item of beauty, curiosity or interest. The word ephemera is derived from the sixteenth century Greek word ephmera meaning a printed or hand written paper not meant to be retained for a long period of time.

Rare antique imperial Russian unused Menu made by Maison Stern who specialized in engraving letter paper, invitations, announcements, monograms, signet rings, and greeting cards for members of the Russian and European aristocracy. This particular menu was made in 1894 for Prince Vladimir Orloff (1869-1927), and is heavily embossed with the Orloff coat of arms in gold, red, blue, and silver, surmounted by a princely crown.

Prince Orloff was a Russian general and friend of Tsar Nicholas II, that particpated in the Olympics of 1900. He was the son of Princess Catherine Trubetskoy and Prince Nicolas Alexievitch Orloff , Russian ambassador in Paris. Prince Vladimir entered the Corps de Pages in 1887 and the Regiment of Horse Guards in 1889 , in which his grandfather had been a colonel. He was appointed Chief of the Tsar's Military Chancellery in 1906, where his duties included daily meetings with the Tsar with whom he became friends.

Their relations were reinforced during the first revolution when the court was isolated in Tsarskoe Selo and from that moment was rarely out of contact with the Emperor, although he did not approve of Rasputin .

On 21st August 1915 during World War I, the Emperor decided to assume the supreme command of the army, Prince Orloff in turn was sent to the Caucasus to serve with Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich, Commander and Viceroy of the province. He was dismissed because of illness on 31st March 1917 and spent the rest of 1917 in the Crimea with the Grand Duke before emigrating to France.

In 1922 in Berlin he founded with Duke George Leuchtenburg, the writer Sergei Sokolov-Kretchetov, Alexander Valentinovich Amphitheatrov and Peter Krasnov , the 'Brotherhood of Russian Truth', an anti-communist organization which aimed to overthrow the government Soviet and restore the monarchy to Russia.

His first wife was Princess Olga Konstantinovna Beloselsky-Belozersky (1874-1923), daughter of Prince Constantine Esperovich Beloselsky-Belozersky and ND Skobeleva, sister of General Mikhail Skobelev. Their son, Nicholas (1896-1961), married Princess Nadezhda Petrovna of Russia (1898-1988), and had two daughters. His second wife was Countess Elizabeth A. Lueders-Weimar (1883-1969). He died in Bellefontaine, in Samois-sur-Seine.

Photos form part of the description.

Size: 15.5 x 10 cm approx