Jewelled Gold-Mounted Nephrite Presentation

Folio by Fabergé

workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895 struck with workmaster’s initials, FABERGÉ in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), gold mark of 56 zolotniks length: 23 cm; width: 15.5 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Sotheby’s London, 1 December 2004, lot 348

A carved nephrite cover, hinged, framed with two-colour gold border chased with laurel leaves, further decorated with enamelled Russian and French tricolour flags and set with four large diamonds at the corners; the upper-left corner applied with gold and enamel coat-of-arms of St Petersburg encrusted with rose-cut diamonds, surrounded by coats-of-arms of Schlüsselbourg, Tsarskoe-Selo, Peterhof, Yambourg, Novaya Ladoga, Gdov, and St Petersburg. The folio contains a presentation letter to the French President, in French, signed in 1897 by the nobility representatives from St Petersburg and the seven local districts, finely decorated with medallions and arabesques, also with a note in Russian. The French President at the time was FrancoisFélix Faure (1841-1899). He contributed greatly to Franco-Russian relations and helped solidify the alliance with Russia by receiving Nicholas II and the Tsarina in Paris in October 1896.

The President’s reciprocal voyage to Russia took place in August 1897. The nephrite folio and the document were presented to the French President on his arrival in St Petersburg. The letter expresses gratitude to the President for his warm welcome to the Russian Navy in 1893 and the dazzling reception prepared for the visit of Tsar Nicholas II and the Tsarina to France in 1896.