Of traditional form, on circular foot, the convex sides enamelled with a shaped cartouche showing the mounted Il'ia Muromets after the painting Bogatyri by V.M. Vasnetsov of 1898 on one side, the other with a scene of two falconers in mediaeval costumes on horseback in a landscape with a town in the background, the front decorated with the Imperial double-headed eagle surrounded by varicolour shaded enamel floral and foliate scroll, with raised prow, the raised scroll handle with similar decoration, on dark green ground, within scroll and ropework borders, the top of the prow and upper rim engraved in Russian 'Prize in honour of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich for the ... stal[lion] born in 1903 by Plemkek out of Talia at the stud of Count G.I. Ribop'er Moscow 9 June 1907', gilt interior, marked under base and handle133/8in. (34cm.) long

Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich (1856-1929) was the grandson of Tsar Nicholas I, who became Inspector General of the Cavalry, and consequently extremely concerned about the breeding of horses around the Empire. He was later Viceroy of the Caucasus and Generalissimo of the Imperial Armies during the first year of the Great War, being dismissed by the Tsar after the early reversals.

Georgii Ivanovich Ribop'er (1854-1916) was a descendant of the family of Ribaupierre from Alsace. His great-grandfather Jean-Franзois entered Russian service in 1777 and married into the ancient boiar family of Bibikov. His eldest son Aleksandr Ivanovich (1786-1865) was a soldier and diplomat, created Count in 1865. Georgii Ivanovich was the latter's grandson.