Faberge And The Russian Master Goldsmiths

New York: Park Lane, 1989. Second printing. Hardcover. Very good/Good. The format is approximately 10.25 inches by 13.25 inches. 320 pages. Illustrated endpapers. 275 listed plates/color illustrations. Index. DJ has some wear and soiling. This is a large and heavy item which, if shipped outside of the United States, will require additional shipping costs. Introductions by Gerard Hill, G. G. Smorodinova, and B. L. Ulyanova. Contents include Peter Carl Faberge, The Russian Master Goldmsiths, Eggs, Flowers and Hardstone Carvings, Boxes and Cases, Frames and Clocks, Religious Objects, Table Ornaments and Objets de Vitrine, and Objets de Luxe. The text, written by curators in the United States and the Soviet Union, provides a complete and detailed account of Russian goldsmithing are. In addition to a biographical portrait of Carl Faberge, a study of tis contemporaries and their techniques are included in a survey of the development of the decorative arts as they were influenced by the Czars, by Oriental cultures, and by the advances of the industrial Revolution. Peter Carl Fabergé, also known as Karl Gustavovich Fabergé (30 May [O.S. 18 May] 1846 - 24 September 1920), was a Russian jeweler best known for the famous Fabergé eggs made in the style of genuine Easter eggs, but using precious metals and gemstones rather than more mundane materials. He was one of the sons of the founder of the famous jewelry legacy House of Fabergé. Peter Carl Fabergé is deservedly the most famous creator of the stunning gold, silver, and jewel-studded treasures of imperial Russia. Perhaps because of the popularity of his Easter eggs, Fabergé's skilled competitors have been largely overlooked. Fabergé and the Russian Master Goldsmiths tells their story and features their masterpieces as well as Fabergé's. Today, the creations of the Russian master goldsmiths are dispersed throughout the world. A broad sampling of masterpieces from the great Russian collections, as well as from private and public collections, are depicted here in nearly 300 full-color illustrations, a number of which are published here for the first time. Carl Faberge was awarded the title Master Goldsmith, which permitted him to use his own hallmark in addition to that of the firm. In 1885 his brother Agathon Fabergé joined the firm and became Carl Fabergé's main assistant in the designing of jewelry. Carl and Agathon Fabergé Sr. were a sensation at the Pan-Russian Exhibition held in Moscow in 1882. Carl was awarded a gold medal and the St. Stanislav Medal. One of the Fabergé pieces displayed was a replica of a 4th-century BC gold bangle from the Scythian Treasure in the Hermitage. The Tsar, Alexander III, "Emperor and Autocrat of all the Russians", declared that he could not distinguish the Fabergé's work from the original and ordered that objects by the House of Fabergé should be displayed in the Hermitage as examples of superb contemporary Russian craftsmanship. The House of Fabergé with its range of jewels was now within the focus of Russia's Imperial Court. In light of the Empress' response to receiving one of Fabergé's eggs on Easter, the Tsar soon commissioned the company to make an Easter egg as a gift for her every year thereafter. The Tsar placed an order for another egg the following year. Beginning in 1887, the Tsar apparently gave Carl Fabergé complete freedom with regard to egg designs, which then became more and more elaborate. According to Fabergé Family tradition, not even the Tsar knew what form they would take— the only stipulation was that each one should be unique and each should contain a surprise. Upon the death of Alexander III, his son, the next Tsar, Nicholas II, followed this tradition and expanded it by requesting that there be two eggs each year, one for his mother (who was eventually given a total of 30 such eggs) and one for his wife, Alexandra (who received another 20). These Easter gift eggs are today distinguished from the other jeweled eggs Fabergé ended up producing by their designation as "Imperial Easter eggs" or "Tsar Imperial Easter eggs". The tradition continued until the October Revolution when the entire Romanov dynasty was executed and the eggs and many other treasures were confiscated by the interim government. The two final eggs were never delivered nor paid for.