Faberge the macferrin collection

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Note: Paul I’s mother, Catherine the Great, had a difficult relationship with her son and did not hide her preference for her grandson, Alexander I (r. 1801-1825). The young man ironically brought his grandmother’s wish to fruition when he participated in a palace coup that resulted in his father’s death. Peter the Great had introduced the European custom of presenting the Tsar’s portrait “surrounded by brilliants” to courtiers and diplomats who had performed some service for the state. These award portraits were among the prestigious gifts at court, and strict regulation governed their presentation and wearing. The complexities of re-establishing peace after the Napoleonic Wars required unusual efforts by Russia’s diplomats; this ring is probably one of the awards the Tsar presented to one of the Imperial diplomats who attended the Congress of Vienna and helped to shape peace in Europe.

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Note: Over the many decades of the reign of Catherine the Great, dozens of young women from Russia’s most illustrious families served as maids of honor at her court. (Their service was often quite short as it ended at the time of her marriage.) Despite this fact, only three of the diamond-set badges are now known to be extant, including this one in The McFerrin Collection.

Alexander I Imperial Presentation Portrait Ring e Unmarked Height: ¾” x Width: ⅝” (1.8 cm. x 1.5 cm)

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The Tsar is depicted wearing a general’s uniform reflecting the reforms of 1808 and the Sash of the Order of St. Andrew, the bezel set with rose-cut diamonds, mounted on a gold ring.

Provenance: European Private Collection John Atzbach Diamond-Set Badge of a Maid of Honor to Catherine the Great e St. Petersburg, circa late 18th Century Length: 2 ⅝” x Width: 1 ⅛” (5.7 cm. x 2.9 cm.)

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Two-part diamond-set gold and silver maid-of-honor badge from the reign of Catherine II (r. 1762-1796). The hinged badge is divided into two parts with the upper portion formed as the Imperial crown in openwork set with brilliant Old Minecut and Old European-cut diamonds. The gold backing includes a ring through which a pale blue ribbon would have been threaded so that the badge could be worn on the maid of honor’s left side, over her heart and showing her allegiance to the sovereign.

The lower half is formed as the tsarina’s Imperial monogram: Catherine is rendered as Ekaterina in Russian, so her monogram used the Cyrillic letter E. The letter is formed with a large central loop in which is intertwined the Roman numeral II. Provenance: Private Collections, Portugal and Europe John Atzbach

Pendant Brooch and Earrings e 552 (abc) Probably the Duval Firm St. Petersburg, circa 1815 Pendant Brooch Length: 1” x Width: ¾” x Depth: ⅛” in. (2.65 cm. x 1.8 cm. x .4 cm.)

Earrings Length: ¾ x Width: ⅜ x Depth: ⅛ in. (2 cm. x 1 cm. x .4 cm.)

A jeweled acrostic demi-parure of pendant brooch and matching earrings with portrait diamonds over miniatures of Paul I and Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The pendant brooch, set in silver and gold, with flat diamond covers (one opens, the other does not), consists of 10 closed-back-cut semi-precious gemstones, including peridot, amethyst, malachite, opal, garnet, and bloodstone, each within rose-cut diamond surrounds and rose cut-diamond separators. Matching the pendant brooch, the earrings comprise five oval- and pear-shaped semi-precious gemstones within rose-cut diamonds surrounds arranged as foliage with diamond-set leaves suspended from a rectangular cut-cornered semi-precious gemstone.

Provenance: Through direct descent to the Princess Sachs-Weimar, therefore probably given to Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna (1795-1865) at the time of her marriage to William II of the Netherlands in 1816 or to Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna (17861859) sometime after her 1804 marriage to Karl Friedrich, Hereditary Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach John Atzbach

10 Fabergé Catherine the Great

0Under a Diamond Glass: Portrait Diamonds, Fabergé, and The McFerrin Collection

Karen Kettering

Figure 1. A Jeweled Acrostic Demi-Parure with Portrait Diamonds over Miniatures of Emperor Paul I and Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, probably Duval, St. Petersburg, ca. 1815. McFerrin Collection 552. Photo courtesy of John Atzbach Antiques

The McFerrin Collection is truly astounding; it contains such a stunning wealth of rarities produced for the Imperial court over two centuries that researchers will be revealing its secret treasures and hidden wonders for years to come.

One of their most interesting recent acquisitions (fig. 1) is a demi-parure comprising a pendant brooch and matching earrings. The pendant brooch is centered with diamondcovered portraits of Emperor Paul I (r. 1796-1801) and Empress Maria Feodorovna (née Sophie Marie Dorothea Auguste Louise, Duchess of Württemburg, 1759-1828), and all three pieces are set with a kaleidoscope of precious and semiprecious stones spelling out a secret message. Without the pioneering work of Hermitage curator Lilia Kuznetsova, who unfortunately died last year, that secret would have remained hidden, perhaps forever.

Figure 2. A Presentation Award Portrait (zhalovannyi or nagradnyi portret), probably awarded to Prince Menshikov, ca. 1720. Private Collection. Photo courtesy of Sotheby’s

Before translating this message from the past and explaining what various elements of the demi-parure tell us, it is important to explain what a portrait diamond is and illuminate the role they played at the Russian Imperial court.

The Imperial portrait had nearly sacred status and complex rules governed its presentation and display.1 Portraits of sovereigns surrounded by diamonds were among the most prestigious awards that could be bestowed at a European court; they signified the recipient’s close ties to the ruler and a literal valuation of his or her service. To clarify their rarity and the status they conferred, it is helpful to look at the miniature portraits surrounded by diamonds (but not covered with a single flat diamond) awarded by the Emperor to those persons who The McFerrin Collection

Figure 1

had rendered him unusual service (fig. 2). These portrait miniatures with diamond surrounds (called a zhalovannyi or nagradnyi portret in Russian) far exceeded the prestige of the Order of St. Andrew, Russia’s first and most important order.

During Peter’s reign, 38 persons were made Cavaliers of the Order of St. Andrew while only 10 received an Imperial portrait surrounded by diamonds. This group of 10 worthies was dominated by military men and diplomats such as Alexander Menshikov, Semen Naryshkin, and others who had helped Peter further his numerous and often difficult reforms and military campaigns.

Figure 3. Detail of the miniatures of Paul I and Maria Feodorovna under portrait diamonds from the pendant brooch of the McFerrin demi-parure.

Photo courtesy of John Atzbach Antiques Figure 4. A diamond and gold ring with a portrait of George III by Jeremiah Meyer covered with a portrait diamond, 1761. Royal Collection (RCIN 52211)

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0Imperial Presentation The Imperial Russian court was renowned for presenting lavish gifts to foreign dignitaries visiting Russia, and Fabergé soon became the primary supplier of such esteemed presents. According to Géza von Habsburg, The McFerrin Collection comprises what is “certainly the largest privately owned group of objects by Fabergé directly connected to the Russian Imperial family.” Many of the objects in the collection can be linked to a member of the House of Romanov based on their scratched inventory numbers and listings on the invoices of the Imperial Cabinet. Displayed in the following pages is an selection of the most impressive Imperial gifts in The McFerrin Collection, as well as the most recently acquired pieces.

Reference: Habsburg, Géza von, “Imperial Awards, Gifts, and Objects in The McFerrin Collection,” From a Snowflake to an Iceberg: The McFerrin Collection, Dorothy McFerrin, The McFerrin Foundation, 2013, pp. 79-81.

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Note:

Note: Fabergé made hundreds of presentation boxes, but many connoisseurs consider this his finest. Made of gold and decorated with enamel and diamonds, the box features the cypher of Tsar Nicholas II on the cover. The Tsar presented the box to Léon Bourgeois, a French politician and statesman, in 1902. Bourgeois was one of 90 foreigners to receive a snuffbox with the Tsar’s initials.

Imperial Presentation Box e  44 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, Fabergé in Cyrillic, original red leather fitted box St. Petersburg, 1899-1902 Length: 3 ½” x Width: 2 ⅝” x Height: 1 ⅝” (9 cm. x 6.7 cm. x 4.2 cm.)

Oval box with green guilloché enamel and silver-gilt with diamonds and translucent white enamel, gold, and diamond medallion on the top. The medallion includes a central diamond cypher of Nicholas II within a diamond frame surmounted by the Imperial Crown. The cover and body are divided into panels of translucent green enamel over starburst and wavy engine-turned grounds. The gold matte rim with borders of meandering green guilloché leaves set with rose-cut and cushion-cut diamonds. The sides are similarly decorated, the leaves alternating with opalesque pellets within white opaque enamel bands. The base green is again the green translucent enamel over starburst engine-turned ground.

Provenance: Léon Bourgeois Christie’s, New York Sotheby’s, London

Sir Lionel SackvilleWest (1827-1908), the 2nd Baron Sackville, had a long career in British diplomatic service. From 1872 to 1878 he was Minister Plenipotentiary to Argentina, from 1878 to 1881 he represented his country as Ambassador to Spain, and from 1881 to 1888 he was Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States. He retired after writing the so-called “Murchison Letter,” in which a California Republican named George Osgoodby wrote a letter to Sackville-West using the name “Charles F. Murchison.” Osgoodby described Murchison as an Englishman now living in California, and asked for advice on how to vote in the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Sackville-West’s letter in reply injudiciously suggested that Cleveland was the best choice from the British standpoint.

The Republicans published the Murchison Letter two weeks before the election, and Irish-American voting was affected, similar to the “Rum, Romanism, and Rebellion” gaffe of the 1884 election. Cleveland lost New York State and the presidency, and Sackville-West was recalled as British Ambassador. He retired in 1888 and was succeeded by his nephew, Lionel Edward Sackville-West (1867-1928) as 3rd Baron Sackville.

Imperial Presentation Box e  152 Fabergé, workmaster August Holmström, Fabergé in Cyrillic, 88 standard St. Petersburg, circa 1896 Height: 1 ⅛” x Diameter: 2 ½” x Circumference: 8” (3 cm. x 6.5 cm. x 20 cm.)

Rare and unusual round Imperial presentation silver-gilt box with mauve translucent guilloché enamel side. The lid is inset with the silver medal commemorating the coronation of Nicholas II and Alexandra, the obverse with conjoining busts of the Imperial couple and the Cyrillic inscription around the edge: Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Coronation 1896 Moscow. The reverse with the Russian Imperial eagle and the inscription God’s With Us. The medal is contained within a cast and finely chased ribbon-tied laurel wreath. The side is applied with Russian Imperial eagle and crowned cyphers of the Tsar and the Tsarina, further inscribed at the base: Given by H.M. Nicholas II to Lionel Sackville-West, Moscow, 14 May, 1896.

Provenance: Given by Nicholas II to Lionel Sackville-West, Moscow, May 14, 1896 André Ruzhnikov Private Collector

22 Fabergé

Presented by Tsar Alexander III Presented by Tsar Alexander III 290

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Presented by Tsar Nicholas II

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Bismarck Box e  290 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, original fitted gray-velvet presentation case embossed with gold double-headed eagle, satin lining to the cover stamped in gold with K. Fabergé in Cyrillic beneath Imperial Warrant St. Petersburg, 1884 Length: 4 ⅛” x Width: 3” x Height: 2” (10.5 cm. x 7.6 cm. x 5.1 cm.)

The cover of this oval snuffbox is applied with a miniature of Tsar Alexander III, bust length signed Zuiev, with an Imperial crown above, set in a bezel of 16 circular-cut pastes and an inner line of rose-cut diamonds. It is further embellished with three large circular-cut pastes to either side, each surrounded by rose-cut borders. The panels to the cover and sides of the box are of scarlet translucent enamel over an engine-turned sunburst ground. The rim is set with 44 circular-cut pastes with an inner line of rose-cut diamonds. The moiré scarlet guilloché enamel panels to the sides are framed by yellow-gold palm-leaf bands. The plain burnished gold base is inscribed with a presentation inscription in French: Présenté par S.M.I. I’Empereur de Russie á S.A.S. le Prince Bismarck, Chancellier de I’Empire Allemand, 1884 (Presented by His Imperial Majesty the Tsar of Russia to His Serene Highness, Prince Bismarck, Chancellor of the German Empire, 1884). The inscription, which was added later, pre-dates the actual presentation by five years.

Provenance: Gift of Tsar Alexander III to Prince Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, l889, then by descent Private Collection John Atzbach The Hodges Family Collection Exhibited: Munich, Fabergé, Hofjuwelier der Zaren, unsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, 1986. Berlin, Bismarch-Preussen, Deutschland und Europ, Deutsches Historisches Museum, 1990.

The McFerrin Collection

Imperial Presentation Snuffbox e Fabergé St. Petersburg, circa 1908-1917 Diameter: 3 5/16” (8.4 cm.)

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Round hinged box of nephrite with applied chased gold bands at the upper and lower edges. The cover features an oval painted miniature of Tsar Alexander III encircled by a single row of diamonds, surmounted by a diamond-set Imperial crown. Above the crown is a bow with ribbon tendrils. The portrait is highlighted by chased gold swags on each side and crossed laurel branches of varicolored gold secured at the center bottom by a bow.

Provenance: André Ruzhnikov Imperial Presentation Snuffbox e Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin Circa 1895

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The rectangular box enameled royal blue over a sunburst guilloché ground, the cover set with a white enamel cartouche applied with the diamond-set Imperial cypher of Nicholas II within a surround of rose-cut and Old European-cut diamonds, the base and sides enameled royal blue over a reed and pellet ground, the two-color gold borders chased with laurel leaf bands.

Provenance: Presented by Nicholas II to his uncle Grand Duke Alexis of Russia (1850-1908), on the day of his coronation Christie’s, Geneva Matthew Stuart-Lyon

Imperial Presentation

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Note courtesy of Sotheby’s, New York: Born into a unique level of luxury made available through inheritance from her grandfather and co-founder of Standard Oil, Millicent Rogers captivated international Edwardian society. Her personal collections included Impressionist paintings, Fabergé objects, and important jewelery. During the interwar years, her personal style, social position, and significant patronage of designers such as Charles James were perfectly suited to the fashion features staged by Condé Nast. She first appeared in Vogue at 13 and over the next 40 years would sit for Horst P. Horst, Cecil Beaton, and Louise Dahl-Wolfe among others.

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Picture Frame 425 Fabergé, workmaster Viktor Aarne, Fabergé in Cyrillic, scratched inventory number 1796 St. Petersburg, circa 1890 Height: 6 ⅝” x Width: 7” x Depth: ⅝” (16.8 cm. x 18 cm. x 1.7cm.)

Rectangular double-picture frame of gold with bright green guilloché enamel over an engine-turned basket-weave patterned ground. The enamel ground is further decorated with applied gold foliate garlands draping from the center top to each corner in a bow and then extending down each side of the frame and ending in a gold tassel. The bottom has crossed laurel branches tied at the center with a ribbon. The two identical rectangular apertures are centered on the green ground and framed in white enamel with gold chased edges. Featured are pictures of an unidentified soldier and a woman. The frame is surmounted by a center finial of a basket containing crossed arrows, ribbons, and twisted cordage. The outside of the frame is enclosed in a chased gold edge. The back is wood with a folding gold strut stand.

Provenance: John Atzbach Picture Frame 432 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin St. Petersburg, before 1896 Height: 1 5/16” x Width: 1” x Depth: ⅜” (3.2 cm. x 2.5 cm. x 1 cm.)

Small heart-shaped frame with silver, gold, and green enamel. Laurel leaves encircle the heart-shaped aperture. The frame is surmounted by a diamond-set bow. The back features a folding suspension loop and a folding scroll strut.

Provenance: John Atzbach

Frame 459 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, Fabergé in Cyrillic, 56 standard, scratched inventory number 42506 or 42596 St. Petersburg, circa 1895 Height: 3 ⅝” (9.3 cm.)

Triangular carved and polished nephrite desk frame with gold mounts. The frame is ornamented and edged with applied varicolor gold details: The round centered aperture features a beaded bezel. The exterior edges are trimmed with a laurel leaf border. The nephrite field features three matching wreaths with crossed arrows, one in each corner of the frame, and three applied gold florettes between them. The frame rests on three raised gold toupié feet with a triangular hinged strut at the back. The aperture has a crystal face. There is no photograph present.

Provenance: Millicent Rogers (1901-1953), then by descent Sotheby’s, New York

54 Fabergé Frames

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Frame 460 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, 56 standard and scratched inventory number 5169 St. Petersburg, circa 1898-1903 Diameter: 2 ½” (6.4 cm)

461 Frame Fabergé, KF and K. Fabergé in Cyrillic with Imperial Warrant, 56 standard, scratched inventory number 26961 Moscow, circa 1899-1908 Height: 7” (17.8 cm.)

Round blue enamel frame with gold and seed pearls. The frame features a field of royal blue enamel over a guilloché ground. The round aperture is centered and has a pearlset bezel. The outer edge is framed in gold with a leaf-tip border. The back is covered with a mammoth ivory panel secured by gold screws and features a folding gold strut.

Rectangular picture frame of translucent white enamel over a guilloché ground. The four sides are each cut in leaving the corners extended. Each corner is painted with bouquets en grisaille. The oval aperture is centered on the frame and features a frame of varicolored gold ribbon-tied laurel wreath surmounted by a red-gold ribbon bow.

The outer edges of the frame are bordered with a dot-dash pattern. There are two varicolored gold swags suspended, one on each side of the frame in the recessed area.

The back is covered with a wood panel and features a folding gold scroll strut.

Provenance: Millicent Rogers (1901-1953), then by descent Sotheby’s, New York

Provenance: Millicent Rogers (1901-1953), then by descent Sotheby’s, New York

The McFerrin Collection

Frames

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Scène Galante Fan 412 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, Fabergé in Cyrillic, scratched inventory number 5365 St. Petersburg, circa 1899-1903 Height (including loop): 14 ½” x Width (open): 26” x Depth: 1 ¼” (36.8 cm. x 67.2 cm. x 3.5 cm.)

Jeweled three-colored gold-mounted guilloché enamel and mother-of-pearl fan. The mother-of-pearl sticks are applied with gold openwork and scrolling rocaille. The guards are enameled in oyster over a wavy guilloché ground, with diamond and ruby-set flowerheads. The parchment fan leaf is hand-painted in watercolor depicting a Watteau-esque scène galante, signed J. Donzel fils. The suspension loop is gold and diamond set.

Provenance: Swiss Private Collection Christie’s, London

68 Fabergé Fans

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Note: This fan was probably sold by a Brussels dentellier (a purveyor of fine linens, lace, and fan leaves) to a Paris fan maker, from whom Fabergé ordered it. Such lace fan leaves, made in convents and taking several years to complete, were particularly sought after by knowledgeable ladies of society. They apparently cost about 200 to 300 pounds at the end of the 19th century, and were more desirable than painted examples which could be produced more quickly. This fan is particularly large; the three in the collection of Queen of England, by comparison, are approximately 21.6 cm. long.

Mixed Brussels Lace Fan 578 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, original fitted case St. Petersburg, circa 1895 Length: 13 ¾” (34.9 cm.)

Brussels needlepoint lace fan with engraved red gold sticks, enameled opalescent white, with loops of flowers chiseled in quatre-couleur gold intertwined with engraved gold ribbons and bows enameled translucent pale blue and set with rose diamonds. The pinion is set with brilliant diamonds, and the mother of pearl blades are inlaid with pierced quatre-couleur gold sprays of flowers.

Provenance: Wartski, London Private Collection A La Vieille Russie Published: A.K. Snowman, The Art of Carl Fabergé, 1974, pl. XVII. A. Kenneth Snowman, The Art of Carl Fabergé, 1953, no. 164.

The McFerrin Collection

Fans

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0Small Boxes Fabergé is known for his unique enamel finishes. He had a color chart for clients to choose the hue and finish of the item they ordered, such as the ice blue box pictured here.

Up to five or six layers of enamel were applied and fired onto the surfaces of gold, silver, or silver gilt, into which engine-turned patterns were added. If the box was made of stone, Fabergé’s workmaster utilized simple tools to shape the objet d’art. A marble or flat table, or the rounded end of a specially made worker’s table, would be used to smooth out the stone.

Fabergé used precious stones such as rubies and diamonds to embellish even the smallest of pieces, like these dainty pillboxes.

Fabergé’s enamel color chart

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Box 435 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, Fabergé in Cyrillic, 88 standard, scratched inventory number 5798, original fitted egg-shaped red leather box St. Petersburg, circa 1899-1903 Length: 1 ¾” x Width: 1 ¾” x Depth ⅝” (4.5 cm. x 4.5 cm. x 1.8 cm.)

Box 323 Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, Fabergé in Cyrillic, 56 standard, later Soviet control marks St. Petersburg, circa 1895 Length: 3” x Width: 2 ¼” x Depth: ⅝” (7.6 cm. x 5.7 cm. x 1.5 cm.)

Of rounded triangular form, the surface is translucent ice blue enamel over radiating engine-turned waves, with gold fleur-de-lis hinges and clasp, and a gilt interior.

Two-colored gold fluted oval box with a panel of polished translucent peach agate surrounded by rose-cut diamonds set in hinged lid.

Provenance: John Atzbach

Provenance: Sotheby Parke-Bernet, New York Estate of Frances H. Jones John Atzbach

80 Fabergé

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385

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Pillbox 440 Fabergé Moscow, circa 1899-1908 Length: 1 ⅞” x Width: 1 ¾” x Depth: ⅝” (4.8 cm. x 4.6 cm. x 1.7 cm.)

Circular silver-hinged box in the Art Nouveau style. The cover features a chased profile of a long-haired maiden, her hair dressed with rubies and a diamond.

Provenance: John Atzbach 455 Box Fabergé, workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, Fabergé in Cyrillic, 56 standard, scratched inventory number 50741, French control marks St. Petersburg, circa 1895 Length: 4 ⅛” (10.5 cm.)

Pillbox 385 Fabergé, Fabergé in Cyrillic, scratched inventory number 2656 St. Petersburg, circa 1900 Height: ¾” x Width: 1 ⅜” x Depth: 1 ½” (2 cm. x 3.5 cm. x 3.7 cm.)

Carved and polished nephrite box in a rounded triangular shape. The lid is hinged as is the thumbpiece with gold, ruby, and rose-cut diamonds. The top is fitted smoothly to the bottom with no exterior frame.

Provenance: Jack Rabinovitch

Oval box of gold with an inset polished panel of green aventurine bordered by a single row of seed pearls. The thumbpiece is set with a ruby flanked by rose-cut diamonds.

The body of the box is fluted in a sunburst design.

Provenance: Sotheby & Co., London Sotheby’s, New York John Atzbach

The McFerrin Collection

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Published on the occasion of the exhibition Fabergé: From a Snowflake to an Iceberg The McFerrin Collection at the Houston Museum of Natural Science On extended loan beginning February 1, 2013 Houston Museum of Natural Science 5555 Hermann Park Drive Houston Texas 77030 713.639.4629 www.hmns.org Author: Dorothy McFerrin Publisher: The Artie and Dorothy McFerrin Foundation Distributor: ACC Distribution Creative & Editorial Director: Jennifer McFerrin-Bohner Editor: Julie Osterman Design: Infiniti Graphics Photographers: Tom DuBrock, C&M Photography, and Jessica Woods Contributors: Karen Kettering, Kristin Mills, Patricia Hazlett, and Timothy Adams © 2016 The Artie and Dorothy McFerrin Foundation All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.

ISBN 978-0-692-76217-2 192 Fabergé