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Great Faberge in the Hermitage
October 7 , 1999 - October 22, 2000
The exhibition "Great Faberge in the Hermitage" was organized
by the State Hermitage in cooperation with the Faberge Arts Foundation
(Washington,DC-St.Petersburg) with the participation of The Peterhof State
Museum Reserve, The Tsarskoe Selo State Museum Reserve, The Pavlovsk State
Museum Reserve, The Yelagin Palace Museum. Several objects are on loan
from the collection of Mr. John A.Traina Jr. of San Francisco, A La Vieille
Russie (New York), the FORBES Magazine Collection (New York). This exhibition
that includes more than 100 pieces of art represents the work of the renown
master in all its variety. It gives as well an opportunity to see some
pieces by the famous artists of the firm such as M. Perkhin, G. Vigstrem,
U. Rappoport, F.Rukert, V. Reimer and the others. New exhibits also include
14 objects made by Faberge's contemporaries, mainly St.Petersburg artists
such as K.Bolin, I. Britsin, P. Ovchinnikov, A. Tillander. The work of
Carl Faberge was undoubtedly of great significance for the development
of the art of jewelry but he was not the only one who gave to St.Petersburg
its image of the major gold and silversmith art center. Some remarkable
objects among which are the silver figure of a fox by the Faberge firm,
the vase by Bolin, the scoop made in the Ovchinnikov workshop have originated
from St.Petersburg and Moscow private collections. Ten cigarette cases
representing a wide range of styles from Neoclassical and Rococo to style
moderne have been lent by courtesy of John A. Traina Jr. Many of the cases
are decorated in elegant simplicity, using the transparent colored enameling
that was the special achievement of the Faberge workshops. Some of them
have dated inscription. Quite rare is the silver war souvenir case with
the inscription, "Carol. Petrograd Year 4 of the War 1917". This wartime
economy case was given by King Carol of Romania to Countess Shakhanovskaya.
These cigarette cases were all superbly made, with silent and invisible
hinges and smooth-opening clasps. The ladies' gold compact in the form
of a cigarette case is decorated in Art Nouveau style, and has been lent
by A La Vieille Russie. The exquisite yellow enameled picture frame on
loan from the FORBES Magazine Collection* contains a superb photograph
of Grand Duchess Elizaveta Fiodorovna, sister of the Empress Alexandra
Fiodorovna and wife of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, uncle of Nicholas
II. Another object- the silver cigarette case covered with pale blue transparent
enamel and decorated with a diamond-set Imperial eagle was made in the
Faberge workshop of August Hollming between 1908 and 1917. The third object
on loan from the FORBES collection is the miniature samovar- in fact a
lighter- made in the workshop of Anders Nevalainen.
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Inkpot
J. Rappoport
Larger view
Clasp
M. Perkhin
Larger view
Grand duchess
Ella frame
Workmaster
Victor Aarne
Larger view
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