Export permit on ice: the ROM saves a champagne bucket fit for a Grand Duchess.

The youngest sister of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, Grand Duchess Olga, was one of the few members of the Russian Imperial Family to escape the revolution. She is of special significance for Canada because she lived quietly in southern Ontario from 1947 until her death in 1960 and is buried in Toronto. Born into one of Europe's most opulent courts, Olga, like many women of the Romanov family, devoted significant time and personal finances to good works. One of these was founding the Eveniinski Hospital in Proskurov, Ukraine, in 1911 for soldiers of the regiment for which she served as honorary colonel-in-chief. Often, Olga would don a nurse's uniform and live simply, working alongside the hospital staff. In appreciation of her support, the doctors and staff presented her with this ice or champagne bucket on July 11, 1915. Their names are engraved around its silver rim. The bucket was among the possessions she brought to Canada.

The ROM is fortunate to have acquired this impressive example of Russian design from the closing years of the Romanov dynasty. When called upon to certify the bucket for export, Museum curators recognized its value to Canada and since it had been here for more than 35 years were able to deny the Permit, enabling this historic piece to stay in the country. The ROM was able to acquire the bucket with the generous support of the Louise Hawley Stone Charitable Trust and, following its certification as cultural property, with the assistance of a Moveable Cultural Property grant accorded by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

The bucket bears the mark of I. B. Khlebnikov and Sons, Moscow, whose large workshops rivalled the more famous ones of Faberge. Heavily cut crystal was a popular luxury product at the time. The glass was likely supplied by Iu. S. Nechaev-Mal'tsov in GusKrhustal'nyi. Standing 26.3 cm (10 G inches) in height, the bucket's style is Slavic Revival, its shape emulating one of the square birchbark buckets made by peasants, and its rim and handles adapting floral and lucky bird motifs from Russian manuscripts and enamels of the 1600s.