Tea tray, cake stands, jam dish, sugar bowls, coffee pot and milk jug, Martin Guillaume Biennais, c. 1817

Commissioned by or for Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia (1796-1855);{Baarsen 2013, pp. 474-5, no. 117.}…; collection Nicholas II of Russia (1868-1918);{Baarsen 2013, pp. 474-5, no. 117.} transferred to the Russian imperial collections; ? purchased by Dr Fritz Mannheimer (1890-1939) Amsterdam and Paris from the Russian state;{Baarsen 2013, pp. 474-5, no. 117.} from whom, fl. 6,350,000, en bloc, to Artistic & General Securities Ltd. as security for a loan from the Mendelssohn & Co. Bank, but kept in usufruct, 1934;{NHA, 476, RMA Archive, inv. no. 2142, Recapitulatie der geïnventariseerde kunstvoorwerpen van wijlen Dr F. Mannheimer, undated, p. 50, no. Zil 80a/b, Artistic no. 45/1; NHA, 233, Arrondissementsrechtbank Amsterdam, inv. no. 1365, ‘‘O.R. 256/1939, Faillissementsdossier: nalatenschap Dr. F. Mannheimer, 28 augustus 1939’’, image 3, page 2.} purchased from Mendelssohn & Co. Bank, en bloc, by the Dienststelle Mühlmann, The Hague, for Adolf Hitler's Führermuseum, Linz, 1940;{Korthals Altes 1974, pp. 21-22.} war recuperation, SNK, 1945;{HNA, SNK Archive, 2.08.42, inv. no. 548.} on loan, with 1,702 other objects, from the DRVK to the museum, 1952;{Note RMA.} transferred to the museum, 1960

Bibliography and list of abbreviations for the provenance (pdf)

Please note that this provenance was formulated with a special focus on provenance research for the years 1933-45 and could therefore be incomplete. There may be more (mostly earlier) provenance information known in the museum. In case this item has an uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45, the Rijksmuseum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of all works during that era.