 |
RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
 |
|
|
RICHARD REDDING ANTIQUES |
|
|
A rare Russian silver and silver gilt Fabergé wine cooler presented as a first prize horse racing trophy, most probably made by Carl Fabergé’s head silversmith Julius Rappoport, inscribed with inventory number: 32868, of cylindrical form with gilded interior, the plain silver exterior with decorative frieze band chased with a horse head flanked by stylized foliage within circular cartouches on a trellised ground, the semicircular handle with geometric beaded ornament, on a plain spreading circular foot Moscow, date circa 1899-1908 Fully hallmarked. Height with handle 29 cm. This extremely elegant silver piece was made in the Fabergé Moscow workshop, which was opened in 1887, specializing in the production of silver and glassware. The more important large silver objects and services as well as silver animals and trophies made in Moscow were the work of Fabergé’s head silversmith, Julius Rappoport (1864-1916). The chased decorative frieze band with its stylized foliate motifs is of Russian inspiration, while similar horse heads appeared on a number of Fabergé silver penknives, letter openers and other useful luxury items. Of universal renown, the name of Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) has become synonymous with perfect craftsmanship, superior design and fine taste. Fabergé objects continue to be prized by the discerning and are to be found among royal and eminent private collections as well as museums worllwide. Carl (christened Peter Carl) was born in St. Petersburg, the eldest son of Gustav Fabergé, a master jeweller and Charlotte Jungstedt, daughter of a Danish painter. His father’s family, of French Huguenot descent, left France in 1685. For several generations they lived in North East Germany, and then moved to Pernau in Estonia where Gustav was born in 1814. By the early 1840’s, Gustav Fabergé had moved to St. Petersburg, where he was married in 1842. In the same year, he opened a silver and jewellery shop in Bolshaya Morskaya Street in the centre of the then capital city. On his retirement in 1870, the business was taken over by the 24-year-old Carl, who rapidly transformed the small and conventional business into Russia and one of Europe’s most fashionable silver and jewellery house. Having trained in his hometown under his father’s friend the goldsmith and jeweller, Peter Perdin, Carl Fabergé’s subsequent travels to Western Europe proved an inspiration to a number of the firm’s designs. The principle influence was the Louis XV rococo style, the classical elements of Louis XVI and Empire design and later more naturalistic elements of Art Nouveau. Fabergé was also inspired by Far Eastern designs and materials, such as jade, while his small hardstone carvings of peasant figures and animals as well as certain decorative elements, as we see on the present piece, were purely of Russian origin. On the other hand, the novelty objects such as the Imperial Eggs, miniature furniture pieces or flowers in rock-crystal vases were of his own unique inspiration. Fabergé had a remarkable skill for organisation and at one time employed over 500 artists and craftsmen. In 1882, his younger brother, Agathon from Dresden, joined him as a jewellery designer, while Carl continued to act as the artistic and commercial director. The technical management was entrusted to his head workmasters, successively notably Erik Kollin (1870-86), Mikhail Perchin (1886-1903) and then Henrik Wigström (1903-18), who experimented with a rich variety of stones and multi-coloured golds and perfected their enamelling techniques to an unrivalled level. Fabergé only designed the most important objects himself, such as the 54 Imperial Easter Eggs, which Tsar Alexander III presented to his wife and subsequently Tsar Nicholas II to both his wife and mother. These were made in a variety of stones and metals, which when opened revealed a ‘surprise’, such as a basket of flowers or golden carriage. The first Imperial Egg was supplied in 1884, which resulted in Fabergé being granted the Imperial Warrant. As his success grew, Fabergé was later to supply royalty from the Far East and Europe as well as Edwardian aristocracy. |