Christie's Search Submit search Sign in Menu Home page Global notice COVID-19 Important notice November 29 | Live Auction 20821 A Selection of Fabergé Masterpieces from the Harry Woolf Collection Lot 47 5 More A RARE GOLD-MOUNTED ENAMEL, NEPHRITE AND ROCK CRYSTAL STUDY OF WILD STRAWBERRIES BY FABERGÉ, ST PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1900, SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER 10061 Estimate GBP 200,000 - GBP 300,000 Registration closes: 12 hours 25 minutes 29 seconds 12h 25m Bidding starts: 17 hours 25 minutes 29 seconds 17h 25m Sign in to bid Save Share Try our Cost Calculator Details A RARE GOLD-MOUNTED ENAMEL, NEPHRITE AND ROCK CRYSTAL STUDY OF WILD STRAWBERRIES BY FABERGÉ, ST PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1900, SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER 10061 In a cylindrical rock crystal vase with everted rim, a finely textured gold stem with two nephrite leaves, terminating in five painted enamel strawberries and a seed-pearl and diamond-set flower, set with green enamelled sepals, apparently unmarked 4 in. (10.2 cm.) high Provenance Anonymous sale; Sotheby's, New York, 6-8 December 1993, lot 607. Literature A.K. Snowman, The Art of Carl Fabergé, London, 1962, pl. LXII. A. von Solodkoff, Fabergé, Juwelier des Zarenhofes, Heidelberg, 1995, p. 196, no. 210 (illustrated). Exhibition catalogue, Carl Fabergé, Goldsmith to the Tsar, Stockholm, 1997, p. 93, no. 17 (illustrated). G. von Habsburg, Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World, London, 2000, p. 315, no. 866 (illustrated). Exhibition catalogue, Fabergé - Cartier, Rivalen am Zarenhof, Munich, 2003, illustrated p. 260, no. 386 (illustrated). Exhibition catalogue, Fabergé, Joaillier des Romanov, Brussels, 2006, p. 175, no. 69 (illustrated). Exhibition catalogue, Carl Fabergé. A Private Collection, London, 2012, pp. 52-53, no. 41 (illustrated). Exhibited Hamburg, Kunstgewerbemuseum, Fabergé, Juweilier des Zarenhofes, 12 April - 25 June 1995, no. 210. Stockholm, Nationalmuseum, Carl Fabergé, Goldsmith to the Tsar, 6 - 19 October 1997, no. 17. Wilmington, Riverfront Arts Centre, Fabergé, Imperial Craftsman and his World, 14 August 2000 - 28 February 2001, no. 866. Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Fabergé/Cartier, Rivals at the Tsar’s Court, 28 November 2003 - 12 April 2004, no. 386. Brussels, Espace Culturel ING, Fabergé, Joaillier des Romanov, 19 October - 5 February 2006, no. 69. London, Wartski, Carl Fabergé. A Private Collection, 15 - 25 May 2012, no. 41. Conditions of sale Brought to you by Margo Oganesian Specialist, Co-Head of Sale, Works of Art moganesian@christies.com +44 (0)20 7389 2783 Lot Essay Fabergé's everlasting flower studies were popular among the Russian Imperial family and aristocracy, who were known for their love of flowers and knowledge of botany. St Petersburg was home to countless florists, some of whom supplied Imperial palaces with fresh flowers transported on ice by train from France. With her purchase in 1895 of a yellow rose, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna was the first member of the Imperial family to purchase a flower study by Fabergé. She was soon followed by Empress Maria Feodorovna, her sister Queen Alexandra of England and Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. The inventory number on this intricate study of wild strawberries is '10061'. Another model of wild strawberries, purchased by Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in April 1911 for 250 roubles, is recorded in the ledgers under number '10062'. It is also known that Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, who was an avid collector of Fabergé flowers, had two wild strawberry studies in her collection. The production of flower studies by Fabergé is thought to have begun in the 1880s. The collaborative process involved many skilled artists and goldsmiths of the firm. It began with designs which, according to H.C. Bainbridge, were often executed by Karl Fabergé himself. The work was then carried out in stages: setting the precious stones, enamelling the flowers, adding the gold stalks and grasses, and finally assembling the flowers. Fabergé's elegant creations were often placed in rock-crystal vases, carved in technique from a single piece of rock crystal to give the illusion of water. The shaped golden stems were delicately engraved with fine lines, and the flowers or berries were often executed in enamelled gold. Another study of wild strawberries by Fabergé is part of the Royal Collection, see C. de Guitaut, , London, 2003, no. 126. We are grateful to Dr Valentin Skurlov for his assistance with the research of the present lot. Read more MORE FROM A Selection of Fabergé Masterpieces from the Harry Woolf Collection View All Item 1 out of 11 LOT 48 A JEWELLED TWO-COLOUR GOLD-MOUNTED HARDSTONE BUST OF GODDESS DIANA BY FABERGÉ, WORKMASTER MICHAEL PERCHIN, ST PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1890 Estimate GBP 25,000 - GBP 35,000 LOT 49 A JEWELLED AND GUILLOCHÉ ENAMEL SILVER-MOUNTED WOODEN BELL-PUSH BY FABERGÉ, MOSCOW, 1899-1908, SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER 26820 Estimate GBP 7,000 - GBP 9,000 LOT 50 A TWO-COLOUR GOLD-MOUNTED WOODEN CIGARETTE CASE BY FABERGÉ, WORKMASTER HENRIK WIGSTRÖM, ST PETERSBURG, 1904-1908, SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER 1164 Estimate GBP 8,000 - GBP 12,000 Help About us Services Terms and conditions Privacy Security Cookies settings Do not sell my personal information Modern slavery statement Christie's Education Christie's Real Estate © Christie's 2021 By clicking “Allow all cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. 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