If you have a spare $80,000 lying around, there is a significant piece of memorabilia related to harness racing that could suit you just right. On second thought, make that $120,000.
An item by The New York Times explains that a racing trophy that C. K. G. Billings received from the czar’s court during a 1909 visit to Russia will be up for auction in the near future.
The auction is set to take place on April 30 at the Stair auction house, which is located in Hudson, NY.
The article describes the rare piece, which holds an estimated value of between $80,000 and $120,000. The description appears below.
'An enameled silver vessel the size of a punch bowl, made around 1909 by Fabergé, it is shaped like a traditional Russian drinking container known as a kovsh. Its handle is modeled after the head and neck of a goose with a speckled beak and a glaring expression, and its rim flares like a bird’s tail. The designer, Feodor Rückert, covered it in his signature swirls of Russian folk floral patterns, checkerboards and spirals.'
The article also states that the trophy had sat dormant in a box – an oak case – within a closet for quite a long period of time. The trophy contains an inscription of gratitude for Billings’ visit.
Billings had travelled to Russia with an entourage of staff members and harness racehorses, including champion mare, Lou Dillon.
The article states that another Russian trophy that Billings had been given was stolen a few years ago during a spate of robberies in New York State that were covered on the Standardbred Canada website.
(With files from The New York Times)
