'The Last Flowering of Court Art'
A Russian private collection of Fabergé

The Last Flowering of Court Art is a loan exhibition of a private collection of Fabergé owned by a Russian couple who live in London. They began collecting just after the fall of the Soviet Union and amongst the many 'New Russians' to collect Fabergé, they were the very first . Possessing the highest levels of discernment and guided by an uncompromising determination to acquire only the best of Fabergé's work, they have succeeded in assembling an important collection of the Imperial Goldsmith's work.

The pieces to be exhibited have brought a shared joy to their lives and the choice of objects is a reflection of their joint tastes. Their passion for Fabergé has produced a collection covering the spectrum of Fabergé’s work and includes some of the firm’s most prized pieces.

The Imperial Fabergé presentation case
from the collection of Frank Sinatra.

The Fabergé figure(below) which will be displayed is one of only a small number of such human figurines by Fabergé. The figures were assembled from Siberian hardstones and many were acquired by His Imperial Majesty Tsar Nicholas II, who was fond of them as they captured in stone the inhabitants of his Russia. The figure caricatures a Bogomoletz; an itinerant pilgrim, who would have been a common sight on the streets of pre-revolutionary Russia. The humorous observation of the subject, such as the portrayal of his bulbous nose, makes this one of Fabergé's most charming figures. The study of the lily of the valley flower from the collection of Queen Marie of Romania is a form of alchemy in reverse, where precious metals, hardstones and jewels are turned into a fleeting moment of nature. Lilies of the valley were the favourite flowers of Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna and Fabergé's carved nephrite leaves and rose-diamond set pearl flowers perfectly evoke their transient beauty. 

The Siberian hardstone figure of a Bogomoletz

The heavy gold Imperial presentation box studded with diamonds is a stately work made to communicate the wealth and power of the Tsar;  while the two-coloured enamelled gold clock is evidence of Fabergé’s enamellers' mastery of their skill. It clearly displays why the firm’s enamel-work continues to be so admired.

A French bulldog by Carl Fabergé carved from
Siberian petrified wood

The collectors have a special fondness for Fabergé’s animal studies and the collection contains seventeen examples. These sculptures in Russian hardstones are a rare and particularly charming aspect of Fabergé's work. The gold mounted agate ostrich exemplifies the joy of these carvings with its petulantly cocked head.  The French bulldog in petrified wood affectionately known as ‘Tyson’, with its pronounced musculature is one of the largest of all Fabergé’s animals. Conversely the red squirrel, from the collection of her late Royal Highness Princess Margaret, measures barely two centimetres across and is one of Fabergé’s smallest. Its miniature size a testament to the tolerances at which his lapidaries were able to work.

The glittering collection is not only one of the most significant of its generation, it also represents the future direction of Fabergé appreciation. English and Americans dominated the post-revolutionary Fabergé world. Since the rise of modern Russia there has been a seismic shift in the pattern of Fabergé collecting. Russians have identified Fabergé's work as a source of national pride and emboldened with new confidence they are now the most active Fabergé collectors

23rd November to 3rd December 2010,

11 am to 5 pm - closed sunday.

 Entry is £8 including catalogue - in aid of the Samaritans .

The exhibition is being held to benefit the Samaritans and all funds raised will go directly to the charity. Samaritans is
a confidential emotional support service for anyone in the UK and Ireland, available twenty four hours a
day for people who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those which may lead to suicide.

www.samaritans.org

A monumental enamelled gold clock in the form
of a Love Trophy by Carl Fabergé.

St. Petersburg, 1903-1908.