Vassilka the Russian wolf-hound or borzoi had been presented as a pair with Alex as a gift from Tsar Alexander III and Tsarina Marie Feodorovna to King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra and were probably the first examples of their breed to be represented in the Sandringham kennels. A further pair, Molodetz and Oudalska, was later given to King Edward VII. Queen Alexandra became well known for her borzois, which she bred and showed. Vassilka won the prize for best dog at the Norwich Kennel Club Show and won second and third prizes at Manchester in 1903, when eleven months old. In total throughout his life he won more than seventy-five prizes and achieved Champion status.

This portrait is very finely modelled. Vassilka and Persimmon are the only animal portraits from the Sandringham commission to have been executed in silver and produced in Fabergé's Moscow workshops. Vassilka was purchased from Fabergé's London branch by Earl Howe (Lord-in-Waiting) at a cost of £32 5s 0d (described as 'Borzoi Hound Bassilka silver gl on orletz base').

Moscow silver mark of 91 zolotniks (1908-17); C. Fabergé in Cyrillic characters; English import marks for 1908

Text adapted from Fabergé in the Royal Collection