FABERGE IN LONDON Ahead of a

The Fantasy of FABERGE

The works of Russian jeweller Carl Fabergé come to London in an exhibition and rare auction, writes Oonagh Turner

MOSCOW IN LONDON Overleaf, Clockwise from centre: The Alexander Palace Egg, Fabergé, on display at the V&A, Chief Workmaster Henrik Wigstrom, 1908/The Moscow Kremlin Museum; Champlevé enamel silver dish by Fabergé, Moscow, 1908-1917/Christie’s; A Chelsea Pensioner, Fabergé on display at the V&A, 1909 Royal Collection Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II; Guilloché enamel and silver matchstand by Fabergé, workmaster Anna Ringe, St Petersburg 1904-1908/Christie’s; A jewelled, enamel and gold-mounted purpurine parasol handle by Fabergé, St Petersburg, circa 1890/Christie’s; A silver-gilt frame with portrait miniature by Fabergé, Moscow, circa 1908/Christie’s Above: Fabergé’s premises at 173 Bond Street in 1911/The Fersman Mineralogical Museum

Abyword for opulence, the name Fabergé is evocative of glistening diamonds, lost dynasties, the beauty, wealth and romance of late Imperial Russia and Edwardian high society, and those fabulous Easter eggs. The jeweller’s ingenious works have long sparked wonder and awe in collectors, history aficionados and art lovers, and this November, his works are headed for the capital.

At the V&A, an exquisite collection of works by Peter Carl Fabergé (known as Carl) are to be exhibited, amassed from private collectors, museums across the world, and British families whose Fabergé treasures have been passed down through the generations. Meanwhile, Christie’s will be auctioning a selection of 86 Fabergé masterpieces from The Harry Woolf Collection on 29 November – second only to the UK Royal Collection of Fabergé, this very rare collection contains objets d’art that range in value from £2,000 to £200,000.

“The first thing people think about are the Easter eggs,” says Kieran McCarthy, exhibition curator at the V&A. “But there are so many more layers to the Fabergé story.” It’s not just the beguiling objects themselves, but how each piece provides a portal to a bygone era and an astute insight into society during the early 20th century. People typically bought Fabergé’s works as gifts for others and so by chasing the provenance of these objects you get to use them as a peephole into the lives and works of these people – these are the props by which to understand the most private lives,” explains McCarthy. “Every lust, every ambition, every sort of social climbing manoeuvre, every friendship, anniversary and love are expressed in the exchange of these gifts.”

The story of Fabergé in London also helps us understand the capital’s status on a world stage at the time. London was profoundly international. “It was a city of the world – you had Americans, Indians, French, Thais, you name it, London was the ultimate destination for the international elite, and turning into Moscow on Thames,” says McCarthy. And everyone wanted a slice of Fabergé’s craftmanship. “European monarchs, Indian maharajas, English aristocrats and American heiresses all aspired to acquire the latest creation from the Fabergé workshop,” says Christie’s London Russian Works of Art Specialist, Margo Oganesian. It was only fitting then that Fabergé set up shop in London in 1903, the only branch outside of Russia, from

Monarchs, maharajas, where he catered to his growing patrons. aristocrats all aspired to In 1911, the branch moved to acquire the latest creation New Bond Street, just weeks after Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes from Fabergé's workshop opened its first season at Covent Garden. It was understated and didn’t need to advertise, its windows only displaying a brief curation of objects. The only way to know of its existence was through word of mouth. “It was almost this social secret and means of social advancement, you’d see the King and Queen come out of Fabergé’s, the Duchess of Devonshire,” says McCarthy. As well as the Royals, Fabergé’s works were also being purchased by the growing expat Russian community living in London. The aristocrats of Edwardian society wanted their own Fabergé, and like the businessman he was, the master craftsman began to tailor his creations towards this demographic – reflecting the lifestyles of the British elite he was serving. “Fabergé began

HIGHLIGHTS

Above: Aquamarine and diamond tiara, workmaster Albert Holmstrom, St Petersburg, circa 1904, on display at the V&A Below: Mosaic brooch designed by Alma Pihl, up for auction at Christie's

producing studies of his customers’ prized racehorses and creating and immortalising vistas of the British landscape in enamel. You’d get scenes of the Houses of Parliament or Shakespeare’s church in Stratford. Russia and London came together through Fabergé and we explore this in the exhibition,” explains McCarthy.

One particular piece at the exhibition that McCarthy is thrilled to have at the V&A was owned by the Royal Family. “Edward VII was not the most monogamous of gentlemen, and his long-term mistress Alice Keppel gave the King the most beautiful and layered gold box, enamelled in royal blue which was entwined with a diamond set snake swallowing its own tail – the symbol of never-ending love.” The exhibition also showcases a host of extravagant tiaras. “One is modelled as aquamarine cupid arrows pointing towards the mind of the wearer – it’s an utterly magical object,” adds McCarthy.

For Oganesian, the famous Fabergé mosaic brooch will be a highlight at the Christie’s auction. Designed by Alma Pihl – one of the two female designers at Fabergé, this incredibly delicate brooch features handcarved minute diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. “The stones are fitted into the square holes of the platinum mesh, which was cut by hand. The same technique was used for the Imperial Mosaic Egg presented by Emperor Nicholas II to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna in 1914, which is now part of the Royal Collection. The ingenuity of the design makes it an irresistible artwork for any collector,” says Ogranesian.

By 1918, the Fabergé craze had come to an end. In London, the outbreak of the First World War meant the flow of materials from Russia dried up. In Russia, Fabergé’s pieces were seen as total anathema to the Bolsheviks’ ethos and Fabergé fled, eventually dying in Switzerland in 1920. “The name Fabergé died young and beautiful,” says McCarthy. But even today, Fabergé pieces remain as highly sought after as they were more than a century ago when first created. “The jeweller’s impeccable craftsmanship and wit remains unrivalled to this day,” comments Oganesian. These are the props by “His ability to catch hold of an which to understand the idea and represent it in a small piece of rare stone or precious most private lives, every metal earned the admiration of lust, every ambition everyone who saw his creations, and this collection is one of the most iconic in private hands.” It’s this glamorous, whimsical, romantic story about the beauty coming from this relationship between Britain and Russia that visitors can expect to glean from a trip to the V&A this November. “It’s joyful and it’s escapism,” says McCarthy. “People will float out of the exhibition on a cloud of gemstones.” L Fabergé: Romance to Revolution, opens to the public on 20 November at the V&A, vam.ac.uk; A selection of Fabergé Masterpieces from the Harry Woolf Collection will be at auction at Christie’s, starting at 1pm, 29 November, christies.com

OPULENT GIFTS

Above: A basket of fl owers egg in silver, parcel-gilt, gold, diamonds and guilloché enamel, 1901, Royal Collecti on Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Below: Cigarett e case given to King Edward VII in guilloché enamel and diamonds and symbolising eternal life, 1908, Royal Collecti on Trust/Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

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