A large enamelled gold mounted nephrite
desk knife by Carl Fabergé,

the blade fashioned from Siberian nephrite sleeved with a green gold mount
enamelled translucent lilac over a dappled ground, with rounded rectangular
yellow gold reserves holding green gold bell flowers, encircled top and bottom
with bands of opaque white enamel bound with leaves

Purchased from Fabergé's shop at 173 New Bond Street on 11th December 1915 for £30 by
Mrs. Leeds Fabergé's London branch sold some of the firm's finest pieces, Birbaum; Fabergé's
works manager recalled in his memoirs that items destined for London possessed 'greater
simplicity of form and more restrained ornamentation, with special attention being paid to the
technical finish'. Mrs. Leeds, an American millionairess, resided in Grosvenor Square and was
one of Fabergé's most important customers, acquiring sixty-five pieces chiefly between
1915 and 1916. She later married Prince Christopher of Greece and
became Princess Anastasia of Greece.

The design for the paper cutter is contained in the design album of Fabergé's
Chief Workmaster Henrik Wigström dated 13th September 1912.
Inventory number: 22661
31 cm by 4 cm

Design for the papercutter from Wigström' s design album dated 13th September 1912, the handle noted ' nephrite' in Cyrillic

Fabergé's shop at 173 New Bond Street