Fabergé Clock Collection by ruzhnikov

Fabergé Clock Collection Ruzhnikov

Fine art & antiques

The Clock Collection

Beyond his celebrated craftsmanship, Fabergé’s true brilliance resided in his capacity to elevate utilitarian objects into works of art. Rather than being conceived solely as ornamental pieces, many of Fabergé’s creations were intended for practical, everyday use. Among these were desk clocks, cigarette cases, scent bottles, photograph frames, bell-pushes, cigarette lighters, and cane handles. These exquisite pieces were made to grace writing desks, adorn dressing tables, or be carried discreetly on one’s person— seamlessly blending functionality with beauty.

The production of such utilitarian objects began in the 1880s, under the direction of Fabergé’s head workmasters. Through their inventive approaches and exceptional skill, they succeeded in transforming mundane items into imaginative, luxurious expressions of artistry. This distinctive synthesis of function and ornament— achieved through the application of sophisticated guilloché enamelling, masterful lapidary work and meticulous goldsmithing— cemented Fabergé’s international acclaim.

Among these utilitarian creations, clocks occupied a particularly important position. The surviving corpus of objects suggests that production was concentrated primarily in two of Fabergé’s St Petersburg workshops: those of Michael Perkhin and Henrik Wigström. Smaller numbers of timepieces were also produced by other Fabergé workmasters, including Victor Aarne, Hjalmar Armfelt, and Julius Rappoport. Aarne, for example, created a number of wood-mounted clocks decorated with sophisticated floral motifs, inspired by Japanese moriage enamels. Several examples are also known to have been created by Fabergé’s Moscow subsidiary.

The clocks were created in a wide range of shapes and sizes, but the most characteristic were enamelled strut clocks designed for table use. Typically adorned with translucent enamel over guilloché grounds and framed by gold or silver-gilt borders chased with acanthus or laurel leaves, these clocks exemplified the refinement and elegance of Fabergé’s design. The dials were most often enamelled in opaque white with black enamel Arabic numerals, though in exceptional examples, the dial itself was

Fabergé Silver, Enamel and Wood Clock, Workmaster

Johan Victor Aarne, St Petersburg, 1899-1908

Private collection

Sold at Sotheby’s New York, Property From The Collections Of Lily & Edmond J. Safra, 3 November 2005, lot 25, price realised $374,400.

Fabergé Gold, Enamel and Seed Pearl Clock, Workmaster

Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

Private collection

Sold at Sotheby’s London, 31 May 2006, lot 408, price realised £624,000.

finished with intricate guilloché enamel. Supporting struts were fashioned in either gold or, more commonly, gilt silver, depending on the clock’s overall construction and design.

Desk clocks could also be produced from various Siberian hardstones, including dark-green nephrite, milky-green bowenite, ultramarine lapis lazuli, magenta-pink rhodonite, and translucent, glass-like rock crystal. Early examples of such timepieces, mounted with thinly carved stone panels, were produced in the workshop of Michael Perkhin. Under his successor, Henrik Wigström, lapidary work proliferated even further: his variation of the hardstone clock was formed as elegantly carved monolithic blocks.

Not only the materials, but also the designs of Fabergé’s clocks demonstrate a remarkable variety. The earlier pieces drew inspiration from the decorative vocabulary of the Louis XVI period, incorporating motifs such as thyrsi and arrows, double bow-knots, floral rosettes, medallions suspended from knotted ribbons, acanthus leaves, and garlands. Other stylistic references included the Rococo flair of the Louis XV period, as well as Empire and Art Nouveau aesthetics. Later productions increasingly reflected modernist influences, with a marked shift towards more restrained and geometrically austere designs.

The movements typically selected for Fabergé clocks were assembled by renowned Swiss watchmakers operating in St Petersburg, such as Paul Buhré or Henry Moser&Cie, and were signed and numbered.

The present catalogue of Fabergé timepieces from private collections offers a glimpse into the extraordinary breadth and artistry of the firm’s horological production. The selection of objects presented here illustrates the diversity of styles and techniques explored by Fabergé’s workmasters, exemplifying the fusion of functionality and elegance that lies at the heart of Fabergé’s legacy. Together, these pieces bear witness not only to the technical ingenuity of the workshops, but also to the refined tastes of the international clientele who once cherished them—and who continue to preserve their splendour today.

Fabergé Jewelled, Gold-Mounted, Lapis Lazuli, Nephrite and Enamel Clock, Workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

Private collection

Sold at Sotheby’s London, Property from the Brooklyn Museum, 2 December 2020, lot 11, price realised £402,200.

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 84 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 7579

height: 10.5 cm

Provenance: Mrs H.T. de Vere Clifton.

Literature:

H.C. Bainbridge, Peter Carl Fabergé, His Life and Work, London, 1949, illustrated pl. 32.

A gold square desk clock, enamelled in translucent pale pink over a guilloché ground, further embellished with four oyster-sepia, leaf-shaped panels painted with dendritic motifs in warm sepia enamel. These are bordered by entwined bands of opaque white and translucent green enamel, with gold floral rosettes positioned between each panel. The corners are applied with chased gold acanthus palmettes, and the whole is framed by a border of chased yellow gold anthemion motifs. The reverse is fitted with an ivory back and a plain silver-gilt scroll strut. Hallmarked on the edge, back, and strut.

According to H.C. Bainbridge’s 1949 publication, the clock was formerly in the collection of Lilian Lowell Griswold, an American socialite who married British aristocrat and art collector Henry Talbot de Vere Clifton in 1937. Clifton, heir to the historic Clifton estates, was known for his flamboyant lifestyle and discerning eye for objets de luxe. During their marriage, he acquired several notable Fabergé pieces, including two Imperial Easter Eggs— the Renaissance Egg and the Rosebud Egg—now housed in the Fabergé Museum in St Petersburg.

Clifton’s taste for Imperial Russian art was perhaps shaped by his family’s earlier ties to the Romanov court. His parents, Violet and Talbot Clifton, maintained a close social connection with Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich, brother of Tsar Nicholas II. The Grand Duke was a guest at their Georgian manor, Lytham Hall.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, contained in the original fitted box, with the original winding key

diameter: 9.5 cm

Provenance:

By repute, belonging to the Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich; Sale: Christie’s New York, 20 October 1997, lot 39, price realised $63,000.

A circular silver-gilt desk clock decorated with alternating stripes of lilac and white translucent enamel over a basket-weave guilloché ground separated by chased gold mounts, centred by an opaque white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, set within a silver-gilt bezel; all within a parcel-gilt palmette-engraved border. The piece is contained in the original fitted case and fitted with the original winding key. The box is lined with cream velvet and silk; the lining of the inside lid stamped in Cyrillic ‘Fabergé, St. Petersburg, Moscow‘ beneath the Imperial Warrant. Fully marked.

Imperial Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay, master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 5482

diameter: 11 cm

Provenance:

Purchased from Fabergé by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna on 3 July 1902 for 240 rubles; Gifted to Princess Victoria of Battenberg (born Princess Victoria of Hesse; later Victoria Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven); Thence by family descent.

A silver-gilt circular desk clock, enamelled with radiating panels of translucent green and white over a guilloché ground. At the centre is a white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, framed by a seedpearl bezel. The outer edge is encircled by a chased gold laurel-leaf border. The reverse is fitted with a silver-gilt scroll strut.

According to Fabergé’s ledgers, the clock, described as being in the Louis XVI style with green and opalescent enamels, was acquired by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, consort of Emperor Nicholas II, on 3 July 1902. It was subsequently gifted to her elder sister, Princess Victoria of Battenberg. In 1917, during the First World War, the Battenberg family renounced their German titles and adopted the anglicised surname Mountbatten. Princess Victoria thereafter became known as Victoria Mountbatten, Marchioness of Milford Haven.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché

Enamel Circular Desk

Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 50548

diameter: 10.5 cm

A rare and unusual circular silver-gilt desk clock, enamelled in translucent royal blue over a wavy guilloché ground, decorated with garlands of white, red, green, and yellow enamel. The white enamel dial bears black Arabic numerals, pierced hands, and a circular seed-pearl bezel, within a silver-gilt border chased with acanthus leaves. Hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut.

This clock represents a rare example of varicoloured painted enamelling, in which the twisted ribbon and garland encircling the dial were hand-painted onto the penultimate layer of enamel. Several comparable pieces, also by Michael Perkhin, display similar techniques. Notably, a related desk clock, decorated with gold foil leaf and berry sprigs over translucent pink enamel, was sold at Sotheby’s London for £274,000 (Sotheby’s London, 4 July 2018, lot 87). A comparable decorative approach can be seen in the Gatchina Palace Imperial Easter Egg of 1901, now in the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, which features painted ribbons, garlands, and trophies in green, red, and brown enamel.

Private collection

Sold at Sotheby’s London, 4 July 2018, lot 87, price realised £274,000.

Fabergé Silver-Gilt and Enamel Clock, Workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks

diameter: 10.7 cm

A silver-gilt circular desk clock, the surface enamelled in translucent lilac over a guilloché ground and applied with radiating bands of red gold. The border is chased with green gold acanthus leaves. At the centre is an opaque white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, framed by a pearl-set bezel. Hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut. Fully hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks

diameter: 10.5 cm

A silver-gilt clock of circular form, decorated with translucent raspberry enamel over a wavy guilloché ground and applied with a continuous pattern of intertwining acanthus leaves; centred by an opaque white enamel dial with Arabic chapters and openwork gold hands. The back is fitted with the original ivory panel and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Fully hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut.

A clock of similar design, enamelled in translucent green over a wavy sunburst guilloché ground, was sold at Christie’s London in 2011.

Fabergé Silver-Gilt and Enamel Clock, Workmaster

Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1903-1904

Private collection

Sold at Christie’s London, 6 June 2011, lot 107, price realised £109,250.

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Rectangular

Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1913

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, London import mark of 1913, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 3?0949

height: 11.7 cm

Provenance:

S.J. Phillips, London

A rectangular gold and silver-gilt desk clock, richly enamelled overall in translucent red over a sunburst guilloché ground. The piece is surmounted by a ribbon crest and adorned with suspended floral festoons in four-colour gold. The outer border features an engraved acanthus frieze, while the projecting corners are applied with gold rosettes.

The circular dial is enamelled in pale translucent pink over a sunburst guilloché ground, with burgundy red Roman numerals and an entwining laurel wreath motif. The centre of the dial bears the inscription Fabergé in cursive script. A ribbon-tied bezel, decorated with opaque white enamel, frames the dial.

The reverse is fitted with an ivory panel and a silver-gilt scroll strut. The piece is struck with the workmaster’s initials and Fabergé’s hallmark, along with gold and silver standards and London import marks. It is also scratched with a partially illegible Fabergé inventory number.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

X-Shaped Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks

height: 9.5 cm

A silver-gilt clock of rectangular form, each side indented with a concave arc; enamelled overall in translucent red over a sunburst guilloché ground, applied with crossed, ribbon-tied silver thyrsus staffs. The central opaque white enamel dial features Arabic numerals, openwork gold hands, and a laurel-chased silver bezel, framed within a silver beaded border. The original ivory back is fitted with a reeded silver strut. Fully marked on the edge, back, and strut.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Star-Shaped Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, contained in the original fitted box

height: 12 cm

A silver-gilt desk clock of six-pointed star form, enamelled in translucent red over a radiating guilloché ground. At the centre is an opaque white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands. The clock is contained in its original fitted case.

A similar star-shaped clock can be seen in the archival picture of the Alexander Palace, the Russian Imperial family’s favorite residence in Tsarskoye Selo.

In addition to the more common round, rectangular, and triangular forms, Fabergé explored a variety of other shapes—among them, the six-pointed star. This motif appears in several variations: as a single-colour enamelled star, such as the present example, or as a two-colour version formed to resemble two overlapping triangles in contrasting shades.

Among the most remarkable examples of the latter is a clock in sky blue and opalescent white enamel from the Lily and Edmond J. Safra Collection, sold at Sotheby’s London in 2005 (Sotheby’s London, 3 November 2005, lot 37; sold for $968,000), now in the Fabergé Museum, St Petersburg. Another notable version, in apricot and white enamel, was inherited by the Duke of Edinburgh from his aunt, Queen Louise of Sweden, and is now part of the British Royal Collection.

The star motif was also occasionally enclosed within a circle or hexagon, as seen in example sold at Sotheby’s: in London on 1 December 2005 (lot 332) and New York on 21 April 2010 (lot 160).

Fabergé Gold, Silver and Enamel Clock, Workmaster

Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903 British Royal Collection

Fabergé Gold, Silver and Enamel Clock, Workmaster

Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903 Fabergé Museum, St Petersburg

Sold at Sotheby’s New York, Property from the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra, 3 November 2005, lot 37, price realised $968,000.

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel Rectangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 19713

height: 14 cm

A two-colour gold and silver-mounted rectangular desk clock, decorated overall with alternating bands of orange-pink guilloché and white champlevé enamel. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black enamel Arabic numerals and pierced rose gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel and enclosed within a yellow gold laurel-chased border. The sides are in rose gold. The reverse is fitted with a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the lower edge, back, and strut.

An almost identical clock is in the collection of the renowned Fabergé dealers A La Vieille Russie, New York.

The distinctive colour combination of orange-pink and white enamel most likely reflects the racing colours of the clock’s original owner. Fabergé’s use of personalised enamel colours began with a commission from King Edward VII for a photograph frame executed in his racing colours—red and blue. That frame, dating from the same period as the present clock, is now part of the Royal Collection (C. de Guitaut, Fabergé in the Royal Collection, London, 2003, p. 179, no. 224). Similarly, Leopold de Rothschild commissioned Fabergé objects enamelled in his own racing colours of blue and yellow stripes.

Designs featuring boldly coloured yet restrained geometric decoration became prominent in Fabergé’s later production, reflecting the growing influence of modernist aesthetics. Produced between 1908 and 1917, this clock exemplifies the firm’s shift toward linearity and visual clarity. The decorative scheme—reduced to a sequence of elegant enamelled stripes—echoes the clock’s architectural form and reflects Fabergé’s enduring commitment to refined, forward-thinking design.

Trefoil-Shaped Rock Crystal, Gold

and Silver-Gilt Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 3228

height: 11 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Sotheby’s New York, 8 December 1992, lot 185, price realised $46,200; A la Vieille Russie, New York; The Forbes Collection.

Exhibitions:

The World of Fabergé: Russian Gems and Jewels, Museum of Natural Science, Houston, 11 February – 10 July 1994.

Literature:

J. A. Bartsch (ed.), The World of Fabergé: Russian Gems and Jewels, Houston, 1994, illustrated p. 46.

M. Kelly, Fabergé Table Clock // Chronos, Fall/Winter 1995, illustrated p. 64. Fabergé. Forbes Collection, 1999, p. 125 (illustrated).

A rare and unusual trefoil-shaped Fabergé rock crystal clock. The crystal panel is centred with a circular silver-gilt and white enamel dial featuring Arabic numerals. The dial is encircled by a green enamelled gold bezel, designed as a laurel wreath with diamond-set ribbon ties.

Transparent, colourless rock crystal has been highly valued since Antiquity. Until the Age of Enlightenment, it was believed to be a form of water or ice so deeply frozen that it could never melt—a theory derived from the writings of Pliny the Elder. Its aesthetic potential was explored in a number of Fabergé’s creations, most notably the famous Winter Egg, designed by Alma Pihl and now held in the Al Thani Collection.

Working with rock crystal required exceptional skill, as noted by one of Fabergé’s workmasters, Franz Birbaum, in his memoirs: “Its friability demanded of the craftsmen a particular skill, and its setting was entrusted only to the most experienced workmaster. It could not tolerate the slightest heat and the settings were never soldered, even with thin tin, but were assembled with clips and in other ways” (“Birbaum Memoirs,” in Fabergé: Imperial Jeweller, St Petersburg, 1993, p. 457).

A similar rock crystal clock from the collection of Frank Sinatra was auctioned at Christie’s, New York, on 1 December 1995 (lot 56; price realised: $40,250). Another closely related timepiece—presented by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to her grandmother, Queen Victoria —is preserved in the British Royal Collection (RCIN 40100).

Fabergé Jewelled, Gold-Mounted Rock Crystal Clock, Workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

British Royal Collection

Jewelled Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Semi-Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 84 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 51996

width: 17 cm

Provenance:

His Excellency Mohammed Mahdi Al Tajir; Sale: Christie’s New York, 19 October 2001, lot 133, price realised $314,000.

Exhibitions:

The Glory of the Goldsmiths. Magnificent Gold and Silver from AI-Tajir Collection, Christie’s London, 1989.

Literature:

The Glory of the Goldsmiths. Magnificent Gold and Silver from AI-Tajir Collection, London, 1989, p. 270.

A semi-circular gold clock, overall enamelled in translucent yellow over a wavy guilloché ground. It is centred with a white enamel dial featuring black Arabic numerals, framed by a seed-pearl bezel and a lower border of overlapping, pierced trelliswork set with diamonds. The outer rim is chased with a gold laurel wreath, accented with rose-cut diamond-set flower heads.

The clock is further embellished with varicoloured gold flower garlands and festoons, and surmounted by a yellow gold laurel, bow, and quiver motif, tied with a red gold ribbon. The reverse is fitted with a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with hallmarks on the lower rim, back, and strut.

This clock was formerly in the collection of Mohammed Mahdi Al Tajir (b. 1931), a prominent Bahraini-Emirati businessman and diplomat, who served as the first United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United Kingdom. Al Tajir assembled an extensive collection of exceptional silver and objets de vertu, including several important works by Fabergé.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Semi-Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 57930

width: 17.5 cm

Literature:

A. von Solodkoff, Fabergé Clocks, London, 1986, illustrated p. 14.

A lime-green guilloché enamel silver-gilt desk clock of semi-circular shape, centring a white enamel dial with black Arabic chapters and pierced gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel. The body is applied with trelliswork mounts set with seed-pearls and silver-gilt roses at intervals, highlighted in red and green, and features two palm branches in the openwork reserve. The composition is enclosed within a laurel-chased outer border, with rosettes applied at the corners. The reverse is fitted with a silver scroll strut and retains its original ivory back. Struck with marks throughout and engraved Rose on the lower border.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Triangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, contained in the original fitted box

height: 13 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Sotheby’s Geneva, 16 & 17 November 1998, lot 393.

A silver-gilt triangular desk clock, decorated with al ternating radiating panels of translucent gold and white enamel—the white panels set over a wavy guilloché ground, the gold panels over a sunburst guilloché ground. At the centre is an opaque white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands. The clock is con tained in its original fitted holly wood case. Hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Triangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 10475, contained in the original fitted box

height: 16.7 cm

Provenance:

Presented on behalf of Emperor Nicholas II to Alphonse Bertillon, 4th of August 1908, and thence by descent; Sale: Christie’s London, 29 Nov 2006, price realised £220,800.

Literature:

S. Bertillon, Vie d’Alphonse Bertillon, Paris, [141?], p. 184.

U. Tillander-Godenhielm, Fabergé ja hänen suomalaiset mestarinsa on teos tekijältä, Helsinki, 2008, illustrated p. 378.

A gold and silver-gilt desk clock of lozenge form, resting on its point, centred by a circular opaque white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, enclosed within a seed-pearl bezel. The body is decorated with translucent oyster enamel over a sunburst guilloché ground and mounted with green gold laurel swags bound by red gold ties and accented with chased red gold ribbon bows. The border is chased with a band of green gold laurel leaves, with red gold florets at each corner. The reverse is fitted with its original ivory back and a scrolled silver-gilt strut.

Contained in its original silk- and velvet-lined fitted holly wood case, the lid stamped with the Imperial warrant and inscribed Fabergé, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Odessa.

This clock was presented by Emperor Nicholas II to Alphonse Bertillon (1853–1914), a pioneering French police officer, biometrics expert, and founder of anthropometry —a system for identifying criminals based on physical measurements. Bertillon was internationally recognised for his contributions to forensic science, including advancements in fingerprinting and criminal identification. The presentation of this Fabergé clock in 1908 likely coincided with a diplomatic or state visit, and reflects the high esteem in which he was held by the Russian court. The clock remained in the Bertillon family until its sale at Christie’s in 2006.

Gold, Silver-Gilt, Guilloché Enamel and Aventurine

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 88 zolotniks

height: 10.8 cm

A square desk clock of pink aventurine quartz with gold and silver-gilt fittings. The timepiece is set within a gold border enamelled in translucent blue and applied with diagonally placed, entwined red gold ribbon-tied thyrsus staffs. At the centre is an opaque white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and gold Louis XV-style hands, framed by a silver-gilt reed-and-tie bezel. Struck with marks on the lower edge, back, and strut.

This clock is a rare example of Michael Perkhin’s timepieces decorated with hardstone rather than the more commonly used colourful guilloché enamel. A comparable example by Perkhin, mounted with a bowenite panel, was sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2007 for $240,000.

Fabergé Gold, Silver and Bowenite Clock, Workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

Private collection

Sold at Sotheby’s New York, 16 April 2007, lot 7, price realised $240,000.

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 18153

height: 10.5 cm

Provenance:

Farouk I, King of Egypt (1936-1965) until 1952; Sale: Christie’s New York, 20 October 1998, lot 66, price realised: $167,500.

A rare and unusual gold and silver-gilt square desk clock, enamelled in translucent pale blue over a guilloché ground and applied with gold foliate scrolls and four rosettes. The enamelled field is bordered by a white guilloché enamel frame, painted with an interlaced green laurel garland tied with a red ribbon. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel.

The motif of intertwined green laurels and red bows and ribbons appears on several Fabergé objects, most notably on the 1901 Imperial Easter Egg known as the Gatchina Palace Egg, presented by Emperor Nicholas II to his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. This Egg is now held in the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore.

Fabergé Imperial Easter Egg Gatchina Palace

Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1901 Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD

This clock was formerly in the collection of King Farouk I of Egypt (reigned 1936–1952), one of the twentieth century’s most prolific Fabergé collectors. It formed part of his extensive holdings and was among the pieces seized by the Republican government of Gamal Abdel Nasser following Farouk’s abdication.

The clock’s elaborate design exemplifies King Farouk’s celebrated taste for splendour. Nicknamed “Louis Farouk” for his admiration of eighteenth-century French aesthetics, the king collected both original Louis XVI-period objets d’art and their elegant reinterpretations by Fabergé. This piece also reflects another of Farouk’s passions: mechanical curiosities and timepieces, of which he amassed a remarkable collection.

Farouk I

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with inventory numbers 21780 and BNMM

height: 15 cm

A gold and silver-mounted square clock, resting on its point. The surface is enamelled in translucent green over wavy sunburst engine-turning and applied with varicoloured gold ribbon-tied garlands of flowers. The dial is encircled by a seed-pearl bezel, and the outer border is chased with a leaf motif. The circular strut has straight legs and applied scroll motifs. Fully marked on the rim, back, and strut.

A clock of comparable design by Michael Perkhin, executed in lilac guilloché enamel, was published by Alexander von Solodkoff in his seminal volume Fabergé Clocks (London, 1986, p. 28).

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and scep tre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 45797

height: 10 cm

Exhibitions:

Fabergé in America, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 16 February – 28 April 1996, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, 25 May – 28 July 1996, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, 24 August – 3 November 1996, New Orleans Museum of Art, 7 December 1996 – 9 February 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art, 12 March – 11 May 1997, no. 314; Fabergé. Countdown to the Millennium, Tessier, London, 12 – 20 November 1999, no. 6; Fabergé Treasures from the Kremlin, Las Vegas, Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, 30 August 2002 – 26 January 2003. Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé in America, San Francis co, 1996, no. 314, illustrated p. 285.

S.R. Dale (ed.), Fabergé. Countdown to the Millennium, Tessier, London, 1999, no. 6.

L. Morris (ed.), Fabergé Treasures from the Kremlin, Las Vegas, 2002, pp. 120-21.

A silver-gilt square desk clock, enamelled overall in trans lucent orange over a sunburst guilloché ground. The sur face is applied with silver-gilt ribbon-tied laurel garlands and a pair of crossed arrows, pointed toward the upper corners. The dial is framed by a silver-gilt rim chased with acanthus leaves. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals, gold openwork hands, and a sil ver-gilt reeded bezel tied with a ribbon motif. The reverse is fitted with its original ivory back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the edge, back, and strut.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 1083

height: 10.5 cm

A square silver-gilt desk clock, enamelled in translucent lilac over a chevron guilloché ground. The surface is applied with ribbon-tied laurel garlands entwined over batons with pinecone terminals, enclosed within a chased silver-gilt leaf-tip border with rosettes at the corners. The white enamel dial, inscribed with black Arabic numerals, is framed by a silver bezel mounted with a row of seed pearls and fitted with rose gold openwork scrolling hands. The reverse is ivorine, with a silver strut. Contained in its original fitted wooden case.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Rectangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1914

struck with workmaster’s initials, Fabergé in Latin, initials CF for Fabergé, London import marks for 1914, silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 24446

height: 8 cm

Provenance:

Purchased by Mrs. W.B. Leeds (1873-1923) from Fabergé’s London branch on 21 December 1915 for £22.

Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé in America, San Francisco, 1996, listed p. 348.

A rectangular silver desk clock, decorated with translucent navy blue guilloché enamel and framed by a silver beaded border. The bezel is fitted with a silver-gilt beaded rim. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands. The reverse is finished in ivory and fitted with a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the edge, back, and strut. Contained in its original fitted wooden case.

This clock was originally purchased by Nancy Leeds (1873–1923), a wealthy American heiress. Mrs. Leeds was among Fabergé’s most enthusiastic clients in London, assembling an extensive collection that included clocks, cigarette cases, animal carvings, flower studies, and picture frames. Fabergé’s sales ledgers record that on a single day—4 December 1915—she acquired four desk clocks, crafted from hardstone or enamelled metal, for the remarkable sum of £210.1

Her first marriage was to George Worthington, followed by William Bateman Leeds (1861–1908), the so-called “tinplate king” and owner of Rough Point, the former Vanderbilt mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Renowned for her opulence, Mrs. Leeds resided at 41 Grosvenor Square during her time in London, where she hosted members of the British and European aristocracy. In 1920, she married Prince Christopher of Greece and Denmark (1888–1940), assuming the title Princess Anastasia of Greece. The following year, her son, William B. Leeds Jr., married Princess Xenia Georgievna of Russia, daughter of Grand Duke George Alexandrovich.

1 A. von Solodkoff, Desk and Table Clocks by Fabergé //ed. U. Tillander Godenhielm (ed.), Fabergé, The Twillight Years, Lewes, 2023, p. 174

Silver-Gilt and Champlevé Enamel

Triangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1914

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Latin, London import marks of 1914, silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 24237

height: 10.5 cm

Provenance:

Pasquale Landolfi, Rome.

Exhibitions:

Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 12 April – 25 June 1995, no. 87; Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World, Wilmington, DE, Riverfront Arts Centre, 9 Sept 2000 – 18 Feb 2001, no. 514; Fabergé, Rome, Museo del Corso, 30 Oct 2003 – 18 Jan 2004.

Literature:

A. von Solodkoff, Fabergé Clocks, London, 1986, illustrated on the cover.

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, 1995, no. 87, p. 108.

G. von Habsburg, Fabergé Imperial Craftsman and His World, London, 2000, no. 514, p. 213.

G. von Habsburg, Fabergé, Rome, 2003, p. 110.

A triangular silver-gilt desk clock, decorated with alternating diagonal stripes of black and white champlevé enamel. At the centre is an opaque white sunburst guilloché enamel dial, inscribed Fabergé, with black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands, framed by a beaded bezel. The composition is enclosed within a laurel-chased border. The reverse is fitted with an ivorine back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Fully marked on the edge, back, and strut.

The original design for this clock appears in Henrik Wigström’s drawing album and is illustrated in Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm et al., Golden Years of Fabergé: Drawings and Objects from the Wigström Workshop, New York, 2000, p. 163, pl. 311.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, silver marks of 91 and 88 zolotniks

height: 6.3 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Sotheby’s Geneva, 14 May 1987, lot 452.

Exhibitions:

Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 12 April – 25 June 1995, no. 100;

Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World, Wilmington, DE, Riverfront Arts Centre, 9 Sept 2000 – 18 Feb 2001, no. 516.

Literature:

A. von Solodkoff, Fabergé, London, 1988, illustrated p. 99.

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, 1995, no. 100, p. 116.

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé, Imperial Craftsman and his World, London, 2000, no. 516, p. 213.

A miniature square silver desk clock, enamelled overall in translucent oyster white over a wavy sunburst engine-turned ground. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals, pierced gold hands, and the inscription Fabergé in black at the upper edge, all framed by a silver-gilt bezel. The composition is enclosed within a reeded silver border. The reverse is fitted with its original ivory back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the edge, back, and strut.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Miniature Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

struck with workmaster’s initials, silver marks of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 25559

height: 6.3 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Christie’s, Geneva, 18 November 1980, lot 77; Pasquale Landolfi, Rome.

Exhibitions:

Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 12 April – 25 June 1995, no. 110;

Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World, Wilmington, DE, Riverfront Arts Centre, 9 Sept 2000 – 18 Feb 2001, no. 518.

Literature:

A. K. Snowman, Carl Faberge, Goldsmith to the Imperial Court of Russia, 1983, p. 59

A. von Solodkoff, Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, 1995, p. 120, no. 110.

G. Von Habsburg, Fabergé Imperial Craftsman and His World, London, 2000, p. 213, no. 518.

A miniature square silver-gilt desk clock, enamelled overall in translucent salmon pink over a sunburst guilloché ground. At the centre is an opalescent white sunburst guilloché enamel dial inscribed Fabergé, fitted with black-steel flèche hands and framed by a smooth gold bezel. Dials of this type—typically measuring approximately 2.5 cm in diameter—were characteristic of Fabergé’s smaller timepieces. The composition is enclosed within a laurel-chased gold rim. The reverse is fitted with an ivory back, a silver scroll backplate, and a silver-gilt strut. Struck with the workmaster’s initials on the back and strut.

The piece originates from the distinguished private collection of Pasquale Landolfi, a noted connoisseur who assembled one of the most comprehensive collections of Fabergé clocks in private hands.

Imperial Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché

Enamel Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 57154, contained in the original fitted box

diameter: 9.4 cm

Provenance:

Purchased by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna (1872–1918) from the St Petersburg branch of Fabergé on 18 August 1897 for 200 roubles; Probably gifted to Prince Louis of Battenberg (1854–1921) or his wife, Princess Victoria (1863–1950), sister of the Empress; Thence by descent to their granddaughter Patricia Knatchbull, the 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma (née Mountbatten; 1924-2017).

A silver circular desk clock, enamelled in translucent sky blue over a radiating wavy engine-turned ground, enclosed by a ribbon-tied reeded border. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel. The reverse is fitted with an ivory back and a circular silver strut. Struck with marks on the edge, back, and strut.

Text on the invoice: Uhr rund hellblau [Email] mit Vergoldung u<nd>. 98/2 Perlen [ Clock, Round, Light Blue Enamel with Gilding and 98/2 Pearls]

This clock was originally acquired by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Nicholas II and granddaughter of Queen Victoria. It is likely to have been purchased as a personal gift for her sister, Princess Victoria of Hesse, who had married Prince Louis of Battenberg in 1884. The sisters maintained a close relationship, which was reflected in regular personal correspondence and the exchange of intimate gifts—such as this piece. The clock later passed through the Battenberg/Mountbatten family line, ultimately coming into the possession of their granddaughter, Patricia Knatchbull, 2nd Countess Mountbatten of Burma, a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, silver mark of 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 17509

diameter: 11.5 cm

A circular silver-gilt desk clock enamelled in translucent lime green over a wavy sunburst guilloché ground and mounted with a palmette-chased silver border. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and pierced hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel. The dial is enclosed within an acanthus-chased outer border. The reverse is fitted with an ivorine back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the edge, back, and strut.

Silver and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks; the strut and the back of the mechanism are further struck with workmaster’s initials for Henrick Wigström, silver mark of 91 zolotniks and scratched with inventory numbers 658A and BNMMM

diameter: 10.5 cm

Provenance:

Pasquale Landolfi, Rome.

Exhibitions:

Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 12 April – 25 June 1995, no. 107;

Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World, Wilmington, DE, Riverfront Arts Centre, 9 Sept 2000 – 18 Feb 2001, no. 394;

Fabergé, Rome, Museo del Corso, 30 Oct 2003 – 18 Jan 2004.

Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, 1995, no. 107, p. 118.

G. von Habsburg, Fabergé Imperial Craftsman and His World, London, 2000, no. 394, p. 179.

G. von Habsburg, Fabergé, Rome, 2003, p. 102.

A circular silver desk clock, decorated with turquoise guilloché enamel and applied with a ring of entwined laurel. The white enamel dial, with black Arabic numerals and pierced hands, is framed by a silver palmette-chased border. The reverse is fitted with an ivorine back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the edge, back, and strut.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks

diameter: 11.3 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Christie’s Geneva, 11 May 1982, lot 261

Exhibitions:

Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé in America, San Francisco, 1996, no. 321, illustrated p. 290

A. von Solodkoff, Fabergé Clocks, London, 1986, illustrated p. 9.

A silver-gilt circular desk clock, decorated with a slightly raised crescent moon in dark blue sunburst guilloché enamel, set against a white sunburst guilloché enamel ground. The asymmetrically positioned white enamel dial features black Arabic numerals, gold hands, and a seed-pearl bezel. The reverse is fitted with a shaped silver-gilt hinged strut. Fully marked on the edge, back, and strut.

This clock belongs to a small and highly important group of Fabergé timepieces unified by the common theme of the night sky—a motif particularly well-suited to clocks intended for the bedside. Fabergé’s designers explored this celestial concept in a number of imaginative configurations. A closely related clock, formerly in the Forbes Collection, was exhibited alongside this piece in the landmark Fabergé in America exhibition (1996–97), and is illustrated in the accompanying catalogue (G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé in America, San Francisco, 1996, no. 260, p. 254).

Additional variations on this theme are known: one example by Michael Perchin is illustrated in G. von Habsburg, Fabergé–Cartier: Rivalen am Zarenhof (2003), no. 84, p. 171; another, also by Perchin, was sold at Sotheby’s London in 2011 (Sale L11116, lot 592), achieving a price of £337,250. Two more variations by Henrik Wigström are recorded in G. von Habsburg, Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World (2000), no. 501, p. 210, and in G. Hill, Fabergé and the Russian Master Goldsmiths (1989), no. 165, p. 205. The latter is the most elaborate of the group, featuring a carved rock crystal Man in the Moon face at the centre of the dial, and is now held in the permanent collection of the Fabergé Museum in St Petersburg.

Fabergé Jewelled Gold, Silver, Rock Crystal and Enamel Face of the Moon Clock, Workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908 Fabergé Museum, St Petersburg

Imperial Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché

Enamel Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1903-1908

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 16457 contained in the original fitted box

diameter: 12.5 cm

Provenance:

A gift from Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to her lady-in-waiting Baroness Wilhelmine von SenarclensGrancey (1837–1912); Thence by descent; Dan Hodges collection.

Exhibitions:

Objects of Desire: Faberge from the Hodges Family Collection, New Orleans, New Orleans Museum of Art, 9 November 2008 – 18 January 2009, no. 34.

Literature:

J.W. Keefe (ed.), Fabergé: The Hodges Family Collections, New Orleans, 2008, no. 34, illustrated p. 122.

A gold circular desk clock, enamelled in coral pink over a sunburst guilloché ground and chased with garlands of floral festoons and ribbon bows. The central white enamel dial features black Arabic numerals, pierced gold hands, and a seed-pearl bezel. The composition is enclosed within a ribbon-tied outer border of opaque white enamel. The reverse is fitted with the original ivory back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the rim, strut, and back. Contained in its original fitted wooden case, the interior cover is stamped with the Imperial warrant and inscribed in Russian: Fabergé, St. Petersburg, Moscow, London.

Wilhelmine, Baroness Senarclens de Grancy (1837–1912), served as lady-in-waiting to the four Hessian princesses—Victoria, Elisabeth, Irene, and Alix (later Empress Alexandra Feodorovna of Russia). She was the daughter of Chamberlain Auguste Senarclens von Grancy, who, according to some historical accounts, was the real father of the youngest children of Grand Duchess Wilhelmina of Hesse, including Marie, later Empress Maria Feodorovna, consort of Emperor Alexander II.

Baroness Wilhelmine was more than a court official—she was a trusted companion and beloved friend of the family. She had a particularly close relationship with Princess Alix. This Fabergé clock, presented to Wilhelmine by Empress Alexandra, likely reflects both a mark of affection and a recognition of long-standing personal devotion. The clock remained in the family by descent before entering the Dan Hodges Collection, one of the most extensive private holdings of Fabergé in the United States.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1903-1908

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, silver mark of 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 16556

height: 10.3 cm

Provenance:

Jointly purchased from Fabergé by Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and her husband, Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, on 7 August 1908 for 265 rubles

Exhibitions:

Fabergé. Hofjuwelier der Zaren, Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, 5 December 1986 – 22 February 1987, no. 415;

Carl Fabergé, Goldsmith to the Tsars, Stockholm, National Museum, 6 June 1997 – 19 October 1997, no. 142.

Gehäuse der Zeit: Uhren aus fünf Jahrhunderten im Besitz der Hessischen Hausstiftung, Eichenzell, Museum Schloss Fasanerie, 25 May – 31 October 2002; Bielefeld, Museum Huelsmann, 22 November 2002 – 9 March 2003, no. 415; Hesse: A Princely German Collection, Portland Art Museum, 28 October 2005 – 19 March 2006; Fabergé, Geschenke der Zarenfamilie, Eichenzell, Museum Schloss Fasanerie, 25 June – 16 October 2016, no. 75.

Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé. Hofjuwelier der Zaren, Munich, 1986, no. 415, p. 225, illustrated in colour.

A. von Solodkoff (ed.), Carl Fabergé, Goldsmith to the Tsars, Stockholm, no. 142, p. 170, illustrated in colour.

M. Miller (ed.), Gehäuse der Zeit: Uhren aus fünf Jahrhunderten im Besitz der Hessischen Hausstiftung, Eichenzell, 2002, no. 415, illustrated in colour.

P. Hunter-Stiebel (ed.), Hesse: A Princely German Collection, 2005, p. 164, illustrated in colour.

M. Miller, Fabergé, Geschenke der Zarenfamilie, Eichenzell, 2016, no. 75, p. 131, illustrated in colour.

Text on the invoice: 7 August 1908 - Pink Enamel Clock (265) ½ - F16556 - 132.50

A square silver desk clock, enamelled in bright pink over a wavy sunburst guilloché ground. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel. The outer silver border is chased with a repetitive leaf pattern. The reverse is fitted with the original ivory panel and a hinged silver scroll strut. Fully marked on the rim, strut, and back.

According to Fabergé’s Imperial ledgers, the clock was purchased jointly by Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich (1866-1933) and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna (1875-1960) on 7 August 1908. Alexander and Xenia were first cousins once removed: he was a grandson of Emperor Nicholas I, and she was the eldest daughter of Emperor Alexander III. Having known each other since childhood, they married in August 1894. The early years of their marriage were marked by deep affection and intellectual kinship, as the couple shared many of the same cultural and artistic interests.

Grand Duke Alexander, an erudite naval officer and a patron of the arts, shared many of Xenia’s cultural pursuits. Together, they transformed their residence at the Anichkov Palace in St Petersburg into a vibrant cultural hub, frequently hosting artists, musicians, and intellectuals. Xenia played a central role in shaping the aesthetic and cultural atmosphere of their home.

Following the abdication of Nicholas II and the outbreak of revolutionary unrest, the couple—along with their children—was placed under house arrest. In 1919, they were evacuated from Russia aboard H.M.S. Marlborough, sent by King George V. Grand Duchess Xenia spent the remainder of her life in England, residing in a series of homes made available to her by the British Crown.

The clock is listed in the Hessian House Family Foundation inventory under the number WO U 8519.

Imperial Gold and Guilloché Enamel

Diamond-Shaped Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and sceptre), gold mark of 56 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 49813 contained in the original fitted box

height: 12.7 cm

Provenance:

Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna; Prince Vasili Alexandrovich, sold April 1949; Thelma D. Zane, thence by descent; Private Collection, California.

Exhibitions:

Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé in America, San Francisco, 1996, no. 23, illustrated p. 47.

A diamond-shaped two-colour gold desk clock enamelled in opalescent pink over a wavy sunburst guilloché ground. At the centre is a circular white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel and surmounted by an opaque white enamel ribbon. The outer border is chased with a continuous motif of ribbon-tied laurel leaves.

The inventory number indicates that the clock entered Fabergé’s stock in 1894 and may have been a purchase by or a gift to Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna on her marriage in August of that year.

This clock is documented in multiple archival photographs of the private interiors of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, the elder daughter of Emperor Alexander III and sister of Emperor Nicholas II. Photographic evidence places the clock in her boudoir at the Farm Palace by 1900, suggesting it held particular personal significance. It later appears in images taken at Ai-Todor, her summer residency in Crimea (1902), and again in the sitting room at her palace in St Petersburg at Moika 104 (1911).

The clock was likely among the personal effects brought with her into exile. Although the exact date is unknown, it is believed the clock was given by the Grand Duchess to her son Prince Vasili Alexandrovich, during his postwar November 1947 trip with his wife, Princess Natalia, and their young daughter, Princess Marina. It was after this trip that the Romanovs first felt the need to place their most valuable possessions in the Zane family’s safe deposit in San Francisco for safekeeping.

The clock remained in the Zane family for over seventy-five years and was last publicly exhibited in 1996 as part of the landmark museum exhibition Fabergé in America.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Rectangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, silver mark of 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 21859, further scratched with no. 13370

height: 8.8 cm

Provenance:

Sale: Sotheby’s New York, 11 June 1998.

A miniature rectangular desk clock, enamelled in pale blue over a guilloché ground and framed by a silver beaded border. The white enamel dial is inscribed with black Arabic numerals and fitted with gold openwork hands, within a silver-gilt beaded bezel. The reverse is fitted with an ivory panel and a hinged silver-gilt scroll strut. Hallmarked on the rim, strut, and back.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Triangular Desk Clock by

workmaster Michel Perchin, St Petersburg, circa 1895

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay mark of St Petersburg (crossed anchors and scep tre), silver mark of 88 zolotniks

height: 11.5 cm

A silver-gilt desk clock of triangular form with convex sides, supported on two pointed reeded feet. The body is enamelled overall in translucent navy blue over a wavy guilloché ground and applied with gold ribbon-tied lau rel swags suspended from pearls along the upper border. The outer edge is engraved with laurel leaves and adorned with a stylised flower at each corner.

At the centre is a circular white enamel dial with black Ar abic numerals and pierced gold hands, framed by a seedpearl bezel. The reverse is fitted with its original ivory back and a hinged silver-gilt scroll strut. Hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut. The movement by Henri Moser&Cie.

A very similar clock in orange was in the Kazan collection (see M.Y. Ghosn, Objets de Vertu par Fabergé. Collection William Kazan, Paris, 1996, p. 141)

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Square Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, assay master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 18067

height: 11.5 cm

A silver-gilt square desk clock, enamelled in translucent periwinkle blue over a sunburst guilloché ground. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands, set within a seed-pearl bezel. The dial is framed by four crossed thyrsus stuffs, entwined with acanthus branches. The silver-gilt outer border is chased with ribbon-tied reeds. The reverse is fitted with a silver-gilt scroll strut. Hallmarked on the rim, back, and strut.

Silver-Git, Guilloché Enamel and Nephrite

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Viktor Aarne, St Petersburg, 1899-1904

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, assay master’s initials (Ya.L for Yakov Lyapunov), silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 22517

diameter: 8 cm

A circular desk clock by Fabergé, the body carved from polished nephrite, mounted with a circular silver-gilt bezel adorned with translucent red guilloché enamel. The bezel is chased with a ribbon-tied laurel wreath motif. At the centre is a white enamel dial featuring black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands, framed by a seed-pearl bezel. The base is encircled with a silver-gilt beaded border and rests on three silver bun feet. Struck with marks under the base.

A comparable nephrite desk clock from the Kazan Collection was sold at Christie’s, New York, 15 April 1997, Lot 70.

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché

Enamel

Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Michael Perkhin, St Petersburg, 1899-1903

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrillic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 88 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 8998

height: 11 cm

A square two-colour gold desk clock. The central circular dial is framed by a seed-pearl bezel and set against a lilac sunburst guilloché enamel ground. The surrounding border is enamelled in translucent salmon pink over a moiré guilloché ground and applied with two-colour gold ribbon-tied arrows and laurel wreaths at the corners, as well as laurel-entwined spears. The composition is enclosed within white enamel inner borders and an outer border cast and chased with acanthus leaves.

The white enamel dial features black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands. The reverse is fitted with an ivory back and a silver scroll strut. The clock is marked on the upper rim, back, and strut. The movement is by Moser&Cie.

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1903-1908

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, silver mark of 88 zolotniks

diameter: 12 cm

A silver-gilt circular desk clock, enamelled in coral pink over a sunburst guilloché ground. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and pierced gold hands, framed by a silver-gilt reeded bezel. The outer frame is similarly chased with a reeded pattern. The reverse is fitted with an ivorine back and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Struck with marks on the rim, back, and strut.

Gold, Silver and Guilloché Enamel Desk

Clock and Calendar by Fabergé

Moscow, 1899-1908

struck with maker’s mark K. Fabergé in Cyrillic beneath Imperial warrant, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver mark of 84 zolotniks

height: 15.5 cm

A rare gold and silver Fabergé desk piece combining a clock and a calendar. The arched triangular frame is enamelled overall in translucent oyster-white over a sunburst wavy guilloché ground. At the centre, the face is divided by a horizontal, ribbon-tied reeded gold border. The upper section features a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and openwork gold hands, set within a seed-pearl bezel and surrounded by three yellow gold flower rosettes. The lower section is applied with red and green gold ribbon-tied foliate garlands. Beneath these are three small apertures indicating the date, day of the week, and month. The outer border is chased with acanthus leaves. The piece rests on two baluster-shaped feet. The reverse is fitted with a scroll strut. Marked on the rim, back, and strut.

This object is a rare example of a timepiece produced in Fabergé’s Moscow workshops. A very similar clock and calendar combination, executed in lilac enamel and formerly belonging to Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, is now held in the Fabergé Museum in St Petersburg.

Gold,

and Enamel

and Calendar Moscow, 1899-1908 Fabergé Museum, St Petersburg

Sold at Sotheby’s New York, Property from the Collections of Lily & Edmond J. Safra, 3 November 2005, lot 10, price realised $352,000.

Fabergé

Silver

Clock

Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Circular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1903-1908

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks and silver marks of 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 15241

height: 13 cm

Provenance:

Lady Lydia Deterding (1904-1980), nee Koudeyaroff.

A rectangular desk clock mounted in two-colour gold, decorated with alternating bands of two distinct types of white enamel, juxtaposed in delicate contrast: cool, opaque white champlevé enamel and warm, opalescent translucent enamel, applied over a striped guilloché ground and finely painted in grisaille with undulating foliate branches. At the centre is a salmon-pink guilloché enamel dial with black Arabic numerals, framed by a circular bezel adorned with white champlevé enamel bands tied with ribbon motifs. The composition is enclosed within a green gold border chased with acanthus leaves. The reverse is backed with an ivory plaque and fitted with a silver-gilt scroll strut. Fully marked on the rim, back, and strut.

Lydia Pawlowna Deterding (1904-1980), née Lydia Pavlovna Koudoyaroff, was born on 27 March 1904 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Her father, General Paul Koudoyaroff, was a prominent White Russian General. In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, Lydia fled the country and, by 1924, had settled in Paris.

That same year, she married Sir Henri Deterding, the 58-year-old chairman of the Royal Dutch Shell oil company. The couple had two daughters. During the 1920s and 1930s, Lydia and her husband became notable benefactors of the Russian émigré community, assisting thousands of White Russian exiles. In recognition of her efforts, Lydia was granted the title Princess Donskaya in 1937 by Grand Duke Cyril, cousin of Tsar Nicholas II—an honour considered the highest that could be bestowed upon a non-royal Russian.

The marriage ended in divorce in 1933, after which Lydia continued to reside in England with her two daughters at Buckhurst Park, her country estate in Berkshire.

Lydia Deterding died in Paris on 30 June 1980, at the age of 76, and was buried at the Russian Orthodox Cemetery in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, Palaiseau, Essonne, France.

In addition to her interest in Fabergé, Lady Deterding assembled an important collection of historic jewels. Her collection was sold by Christie’s in Geneva in 1980 and included celebrated pieces such as the Polar Star diamond—once owned by Joseph Bonaparte, brother of Napoleon—as well as Cartier diamonds formerly belonging to Prince Felix Yusupov, and a diamond and pearl necklace once worn by Empress Maria Feodorovna.

Gold, Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel

Rectangular Desk Clock by Fabergé

workmaster Henrik Wigström, St Petersburg, 1908-1917

struck with workmaster’s initials and Fabergé in Cyrilic, gold mark of 56 zolotniks, silver marks of 88 and 91 zolotniks, scratched with Fabergé inventory no. 20794

height: 8.4

Provenance:

Sale: Christie’s Geneva, 15 November 1989, lot 62.

Exhibitions:

Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, 12 April – 25 June 1995, no. 121;

Fabergé: Imperial Craftsman and His World, Wilmington, DE, Riverfront Arts Centre, 9 Sept 2000 – 18 Feb 2001, no. 519.

Literature:

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé – Juwelier der Zarenhofes, Hamburg, 1995, no. 121, p. 124.

G. von Habsburg (ed.), Fabergé, Imperial Craftsman and his World, London, 2000, no. 519, Illustrated p. 214.

A miniature desk clock of rectangular form, enamelled overall in translucent grey-blue over a moiré guilloché ground, framed by a silver-gilt beaded border. At the centre is a white enamel dial with black Arabic numerals and gold openwork hands, encircled by a seed-pearl bezel. The reverse is fitted with an ivory back panel and a silver-gilt scroll strut. Fully marked on the rim, back, and strut. Contained in a fitted case by Wartski.