[Евгений]

Alexander Goldberg

History of Faberge

Carl Faberge was born 18 (30) May 1846 in St. Petersburg. His father, Gustav Faberge, came from a kind of the Huguenots, was a modest jeweler, who had his business since 1841 In 1860, fourteen-Carl Faberge, along with his parents moved to Dresden. From there, his father sent him on a trip to Europe, he stops for a longer time in Frankfurt, Florence and Paris. Returning to St. Petersburg in 1866, Faberge - now a full-fledged master - working together with Hiskiasom Pendino, Augustus Holmstremom and William Reimer. They previously worked at his father. In 1868, a Finnish company joins jeweler Eric Colin, and in 1872 became the owner of Carl Faberge's workshop of his father. Colin - his first major artist.

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The works of Faberge in the period between 1866 and 1885. - For us a sort of white spots. Franz Bierbaum (a famous jeweler home) describes the early products of the company: "clumsy gold bangles, fashionable at the time, brooches and lockets with chains and buckles ... They were decorated with stones and enamel ... their designs can still be seen on old pictures of the firm. "

These descriptions are similar products known to us by Gustav Faberge. Recently found an album with thumbnail sketches of jewelry last three decades of the XIX century allows partially fill the previous gaps. Based on these sketches, Faberge appears closely related to the main direction of modern art in France. The sketches of his designs of flower bouquets adorned with diamonds, and sometimes - and the enamel, curly strands of ivy - all are reminiscent of the famous French jewelers: brothers Masse, J. Coulomb, A. Massena, etc. Lush on tapes brooches, pendants with diamonds, tied ribbons, necklaces and bracelets - all this done white gouache on black paper, and nothing here can not see the genius of Faberge. Sometimes slips some ease, but it is still firmly rooted in the common European tradition - braided bracelet with diamonds and rubies, shuttle to the style of Louis XV and necklaces with pendants. Some of the more daring designs signed by Agathon, brother Carl Faberge: mainly a tiara with diamonds and emeralds and a number of fairly elaborate necklaces. "His favorite motifs were twigs with flowers and spikes of wheat, and artfully tied ribbons ... It was the best period of work with diamonds. Works of this period are characterized by a rich design, visible even from a distance. In fashion tiaras were large, small Cranes and plyumazhnye necklace in the form of collars, breastplates corsage ornaments, buckles and wide belt. "

Virtually none of this, traditional, period Faberge not come to our time. Accounts book of the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty indicate competition for the Faberge imperial orders to other more well-known jewelers, such as Julius Buti, Edward Bolin, Friedrich Kehl and Leopold Tseftingen. Initially, its share in commissions from the court was insignificant, but over the years it grew, Faberge is increasingly mentioned in the books of Court. He managed to quickly win the highest court officials, providing free services to assess, repair and restoration of the jewelry in the Hermitage. Free access to the exhibits allowed to carefully study the techniques of old jewelry, stylistic features of the products made in different epochs.

Among the earliest documented works by Faberge brothers Colin and Eric have been made by them in 1885, a copy of "Kerch gold" - objects of luxury hoard of gold jewelry IV century, found during excavations in the area of Kerch. "Making this work required not only special care and high-fidelity, but also a return to long-forgotten techniques and methods of work. Brothers Faberge coped brilliantly with all the difficulties and received as a result of an order for a series of copies of Kerch antiquities. "

Designed Faberge items during the work Colin slightly different from what was done in the 70 years in other European centers of jewelry art. His commitment antikvarskim tastes pronounced in rare extant things of this period, including the golden goblets and objects in the Renaissance style.

Period of Agathon Faberge (1882-1895)

In 1882, a 20-year-old Agathon Faberge joined his brother Charles in St. Petersburg and worked with him over ten years. This decade was destined to become the wealthiest and most creative period of the company. The quality of things made in these years, remained unsurpassed. It is believed that the interaction between the brothers - Charles, with his passion for classic style, and more lively and energetic creative Agathon - increased to joining the firm of its second chief master, the brilliant Michael Perkhin who worked from 1885 to 1903. Contributed to the isolation of about 1885 g . Faberge art as a distinctive style in the applied arts and jewelry. It was during this decade-the first time there is a majority "of themes and subjects" Faberge: created for the royal family and the imperial court, Easter eggs, animal figurines, flowers, objets de virtu - "useful items" - and other articles of gems or precious metals. Bierbaum, in his memoirs wrote that the name of Agathon Faberge firm began a change: "... the character of a lively and impressionable, he sought and found inspiration everywhere in antiquity, the art of the East, which had not yet been studied, or nature. Surviving his drawings - a certificate of permanent and ongoing search. Often you can meet up to a dozen developments one subject. "

Both brothers Faberge traveled a lot. Charles received the knowledge of Western styles from the source in Dresden, Frankfurt, Florence and Paris. But it was home and he and the other to find a wealth of existing sources and inspiration - the Hermitage. The Hermitage, with its gallery of jewelry became a school for jewelers Faberge. After the Kerch collections they examined all the evidence submitted there era, and especially the age of Elizabeth and Catherine II. Many of the jewelry and gold pieces have been copied with great precision, and then were filled with new songs, using these models as a guide. The best proof of perfection achieved in these works, are the repeated suggestions by some foreign antique dealers to execute a number of works, but without imposing a hallmark and name of Faberge. Of course, these proposals were rejected. Tracks kept the style of past centuries, but they are attached to the modern subjects ... Articles XVIII century in the collections of the Hermitage encouraged to apply draughty enamel on engraved or giloshinirovannom gold and silver. "

By the 90 th year Faberge bypassed its competitors to "big things" and silver. Bolin maintains its lead in jewelry (only in Moscow, its turnover in 1896 amounted to 500 thousand rubles). Nevertheless, it is a necklace of pearls and diamonds Faberge cost 166 500 rubles was chosen in 1894 as crown prince Nicholas wedding present to his future wife, Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt. In turn, the parents of Nicholas crowned Faberge paid the highest price, which he has ever managed to get 250 thousand rubles - for another necklace, designed as a gift for their future daughter. In 1896 the turnover of the Moscow branch of Faberge, founded in 1887 in order to cope with the growing demand, has reached 400 thousand rubles. The major activities of the company here is large expensive silver sets and table decorations at the cost of 50 thousand rubles. Sketches of the service in the style of Louis XVI, commissioned in 1894 by Alexander III for the Crown Prince, and a monumental service to the Empire style with swans and sphinxes, made for the wedding of Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, in 1908, preserved in the Hermitage and well documented.

Important orders have been made to celebrate the coronation of Nicholas II in 1896, Travels of the imperial family in Denmark and in London were a Faberge excellent source of orders, as many of these were prepared to travel gifts made in his workshop. Notable successes firms associated with awards at the All-Russia exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod and the North exhibition in Stockholm. The culmination of this period was the construction of new homes company on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, 24, and the participation of Faberge in the World Exhibition in Paris.

Era Francois Bierbaum (1895-1917)

Swiss jeweler Franz P. Bierbaum joined by Faberge in 1893, and after the death of Agathon Faberge in 1895, he became chief designer of the firm. He was a great cutter, a specialist in enamel technique and remarkable features. His arrival coincided with a reorientation of Faberge in the style of Art Nouveau, and Art Nouveau, and the gradual replacement of the works of the firm style of Louis XV, or, as it was also called "cock's style," which was supposed to give way to more classic styles - the style of Louis XVI and Empire . The role of F. Bierbaum was supposed to be very high: according to him, he created designs of most of Easter eggs made to order the Royal Court after 1900: "Such eggs was carried out 50-60 pieces, of which I had to compose at least a good half. This work was not easy, if we take into account that the subjects did not have to be repeated, and egg-shaped form is required. "

By the beginning of the century it was the most significant of Faberge in its industry in Russia. We had to open new stand-alone shops, which worked on drawings and models of the firm. After the success at the Paris exhibition of Faberge in 1900 got wide international acclaim, for it had been opened all the doors. His shop in London has become a meeting place for the top of the English society at the time of Edward VII. Its shops and showrooms attracted hundreds of Russian aristocrats.

In 1900, the years of Faberge is simply overwhelmed with orders. The ten years between 1907 and 1917. has only London has sold over 10 thousand items. Customers of America moor their yachts off the coast of the Neva. Three sons Faberge - Eugene, Agathon and Alexander - working as artists side by side with Bierbaum. Three hundred artists working in St. Petersburg and two hundred - in Moscow. Orders are so many that some of them even passed the masters, not mediocre, not working in the firm. Worldwide, the company sold more than two hundred thousand products.

The period of Henrik Vigstrema, the last foreman Faberge (1903-1917 gg.) Lacks the brightness and the ingenuity of his predecessor. Disappears riot of lines and colors of Art Nouveau, designed by Faberge, becoming drier and classicality. And, although the quality is excellent, the very use of the current work of Faberge details of pre-imposes on them the imprint of industrial era. News - this is typical for the company - appear regularly every year. Some products are Faberge pronounced geometric design and how to herald the approach of a new emerging style of Art Deco.

Lavish celebrations to mark the 300 anniversary of the Romanov dynasty that had led to the apotheosis of the dynasty, to signify the last Faberge rapid surge in the number of orders. It designs and manufactures a multitude of objects and jewelry with the logo of the Romanov dynasty and the dates 1613-1913 gg., Including currently held in the Kremlin Easter Egg 300 th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty. "The documents of the Cabinet of HIH contains information about small jewelry: badges, pins, brooches.


With the announcement of war in 1914, the era Faberge, which was held for him under the sign of imperial largesse and patronage, should have been completed. After the euphoria of the first major victory came defeat and loss, all fell on hard times. For these years, characterized by two Faberge Easter Eggs (1915), their design is found to display the activities of the Empress and her daughters in the Red Cross.

Faberge created a number of cigarette cases, glasses, cups, mugs, wine, badges for rewarding the soldiers who participated in the battles. Since September 1915, the Faberge workshops began in the mobilization of feeling a lack of skilled craftsmen. He wrote several letters to the Office of the Ministry of the Imperial Court to be relieved from recruiting 23 of its employees, including Kremleva and Petukhov - two of the most skilled craftsmen.
Increasing number of pending orders. The Moscow branch of the firm carrying out work on silver, took over the production of hand grenades and shells for artillery shells. In Odessa, the 35 artists in the department of the company were only specialists.

November 6, 1916 by Faberge - as a precautionary measure in difficult times - organized a joint stock company with Averkiyeva, Bauer, Byzova and Marchetti. These persons are now owned by 21 share a common value of 90 thousand rubles, 548 shares of Faberge's left for themselves, selecting from 40 shares to each of his sons, except Agathon, and one - mostly masters: Anthony, Bierbaum, Mayer, and Zhyuve, which corresponded to a nested their assets in 700 thousand rubles.

1917 brought the collapse of the old world: followed the February Revolution, the king's abdication on March 15, the arrest of the royal family and, finally, the October Revolution. The company fell into the hands of so-called "Committee of Association of employees and the company Faberge" and continued to act in that capacity until November 1918 in the end of 1917, Carl Faberge, closed her house on Bolshaya Morskaya Street, confided to him the contents of the Director of the Hermitage. He moved to Riga, where in Berlin, next to Homburg for Tannase, then to Wiesbaden, where the sick. In June 1920 his wife Aug. Bogdanovna Jacobs (daughter of the court master carpenter) and the eldest son Eugene took him to Lausanne. Here he died on September 24, 1920, and at his request had been burned.

Design and style

Initially creative person firm is deeply rooted historicism. Karl Agathon and it took ten years to release the company from the shackles of direct imitation and find your own style. When Erica Kolin "Faberge" fully absorbed the old - "antique" - styles. When Agathon and Michael Perkhin firm prefers the style of Louis XV. But the inquisitive mind of family members and masters Faberge sought and found other sources of inspiration nicknames, including the style of Louis XVI, Empire, Gothic, Renaissance, the Middle East, Persian, Indian, Chinese and Japanese art. Faberge Style based on a subtle mix of early "historical" styles, enriched Russian feeling, ease, elegance and unique virtuosity of execution. This was the "style of Faberge, is extremely popular, was the subject of admiration and slavish imitation, but as anyone and unsurpassed. Therein lies the reason for the success of Faberge.

The niche tastes and requests from the public, open the genius of Faberge, now filled with it - it was an endless stream of useful things - cigarette cases, lamps, phone calls, hours of - superior to each other with their ingenuity. Each of them has a very fine form and perfection. Instantly recognizable, they were perfect symbol of the status of their owner. By purchasing these expensive toys and gadgets, you get in terms of "elected." Faberge has a team of uniquely talented designers and the highest caliber of their favorite artists. Through continuous innovation, he easily outpaced his competitors. It is this desire for novelty allowed him to assert that at the end of each year, he sent to be melted down all the things that have remained unsold. Faberge could proudly say of themselves in an interview: "... if you compare my case with such companies as Tiffany, Busheran, Cartier, then they're likely to find more jewelry than me. They can be found ready-made necklaces at 1,500,000 rubles. But it's dealers, jewelers, and not artists. Little interest to me dear thing, if its price only in the fact that planted a lot of diamonds or pearls. "This credo Faber-as distinguished from its competitors. He also stated that any thing beyond his strict standards of excellence, was destroyed.

Enamels

The most popular items "from Faberge has always been made of gold and silver-coated painted in soft colors enamel, artfully placed on the mechanically treated basis. Unlike competitors who preferred to work with reliable and safe tones - white, pale blue or pink - Faberge bravely undertook the creation of enamel and risky inimitable tones - tones of yellow primulas, a purplish-plum, pink-semuzhny, purplish-green or Prussian blue tones. He could choose from more than a groan of colors and shades. The most exquisite, no doubt, was his inimitable "oyster" - a shimmering warm white tone, reflecting the iridescent shades of the inner surface of a seashell.

Enamel is also covered and the surface of products, pre-treated with the technique "guilloche" - had different variations - one more technology in the jewelry business by Faberge in Russia first applied to art objects. "Sunlight," "wave" or moire pattern, etched into the enamel metal base attached to the life of flat surfaces. These effects are complemented by "motives" of flower petals, landscapes or imitations of droplets agate, which were written with a brush before applying the penultimate layer of enamel pigment. Last, the upper layer of enamel - "fondant," or his brilliant cover - carefully and cautiously, many hours of polishing a wooden wheel and polished to give the subject its unique radiance.

Figurines

Proved and there is no doubt the fact that many of the figures of animals, created by Faberge, were inspired by Japanese netske, which owned a large collection of Carl Faberge himself. Its obviously attracted compact form and the natural ease of execution of these figures made of wood and ivory. These features were not lost their charm and rock interpretations of Faberge. His "pets" are alive, often humorous, and sometimes - even a caricature. In any case, they are never static and boring. Style and quality of work vary depending on the design and material. The most famous collection of such things - a collection of Queen Alexandra, subsequently extended and amended by the Queen Mary and located now in the ownership of the British Royal family.

Faberge used a variety of stones to create their animals. Some models were performed in the color of "realistic": the seal of shiny obsidian sitting on the ice from rock crystal; for piglets used pink quartz, aventurine, for rhino - kalkanskaya gray jasper, etc., Faberge, also used the natural veins in the stones, mostly agate and jasper, how it was possible to simulate fur. In more rare cases Faberge chose for their animals "unnatural" for them colors, thus giving them a funny look: green rooster, pink rabbit, a blue elephant.

Flowers

Representing a rare exquisite arrangement of flowers Faberge also trace their origins from the Eastern originals, in his memoirs F. Bierbaum recalled: "For the first time we paid attention to this branch of Chinese art, which brought us to repair a bouquet of chrysanthemums ... Through skillful selection of colors and transparency of some of the stones, this work produced an excellent impression. "

In most cases, floral arrangements Faberge placed in vases of rock crystal, impeccably cut so as to create the impression that they are filled with water. Golden stalks of flowers thoroughly otgravirovany. They are finely carved jade leaves and enamel, and diamonds, the flower petals of the corolla or kidneys. Some of them are seasoned in Japanese style, set in bovenitovye pots. Very few repeats - among them are the flowers, favorite flowers Alexandra Feodorovna, branches of mountain ash, raspberry and dandelions.

Designers Faberge as a model for his work often took fresh flowers. In an album of photographs from the workshops of Faberge have shots with vivid colors, including a basket of lilies of the valley, almost exactly the same as the famous shopping lily of the valley, made by Faberge in 1896

Objets de virtu - useful items

Embodying the idea of Carl Faberge and Agathon, who were wishing to enter into daily life products to jewelers and goldsmiths, the largest Faberge workshops began to produce a large number of different household items: picture frames, bells, handles for canes and umbrellas, watches, writing instruments, cigarette cases . And this is far from the whole range of decorative and fully functional objects. Made of gold and silver, and sometimes even of wood or ornamental stone mined in Russia, these objects were decorated modestly, but with the elegance of style, which is always associated with the products of Faberge.

Cigarette cases

Of all the "useful items" were undoubtedly the most popular cigarette. While smoking was very common among all segments of the population, beginning with the emperor. Nicholas II was a heavy smoker, and as soon as it was twenty years old, he began to receive Faberge cigarette cases as a gift at Christmas and birthday from his father, mother, and later, and his wife.

Nicholas II himself gave hundreds of cigarette cases adorned with the imperial eagle or his monogram, his uncles - the great princes, cousins, relatives abroad, diplomats, and Russian officials and the various people who provided services to him personally or have served the country. White enamel cigarette case with a gold monogram, presented to Grand Duke Nicholas, cousin of the emperor and the army commander in 1914-1915, is a typical example of such gifts and an example of "simple" elegance of Faberge style. Another striking example of the refined elegance of Faberge items is polished gold cigarette case, decorated with the monogram of Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich for the crown.

Most cigarette cases adorned with colored transparent enamels. The depth of color lights on the surface of the metal guilloche is a particular sensual pleasure as smokers and nonsmokers.

Two silver cigarette case in the modern style, decorated with Russian motifs are of particular interest. Both depict scenes from Russian life, written by a matte enamel technique, invented by Theodore Rueckert about 1908. One of them - a rare example of the independent Moscow master F. Rueckert, whose belongings from the enamel in neo-Russian style is often sold by Faberge. Proreznaja composition depicting a bear attack on a boyar in the woods, made in the embossed style "nugget" allows you to see the background of a Russian winter landscape, painted with enamel. Another cigarette is a rare example of the product in the neo-Russian style. He performed in St. Petersburg master B. Reimer and decorated with a relief of Russian motives and enamel miniatures depicting a fairy tale "My sister and brother Alyonushka Ivanushka."


Cigarette cases made by Faberge, represent a large range of styles from neoclassical and Rococo to Art Nouveau. It is also interesting variety of materials, from gold and silver with enamel to wood and copper. From a technical point of view, cigarette cases fulfilled perfectly - with a silent invisible springs and easy to open locks. Through a variety of decorative and technical methods, such as the use of colored gold, the rich range of colors of transparent enamels, precious stones and decor of these cigarette cases are an example of excellent craftsmanship of jewelers Faberge.

Figurines

To have survived for about 70 stone statues of the Faberge Workshops. Their technique dates back to the Florentine commessi XVII century. They are composed of colored semi-precious stones, precious stones from Siberia, the Urals and Altai.

Figurines are divided into four categories. A small number of them, probably the earliest, are portraits of people truly existed - such as the janitor of the Faberge, singer Varya Panina, or cell-Cossack Dowager Empress. The biggest of them had as their prototypes of the so-called "action figures for the lodge," popular in the past statues of biscuit porcelain, which can often be seen in the homes of ordinary citizens. These figures, representing national WIDE types of series belonging to Sir William Sid. Among them are several mu-zykantov, police, soldiers, two peasants and Cossack. A small group of a hundred-tuetok represents special orders, such as John Bull, Uncle Sam, Chelsiysky retired veteran, Queen Victoria or Pull-and-persuasion. And, finally, a later series of realistic caricatures of the street peddlers and merchants, made to Emmanuel Nobel, who was said to have ordered the Faberge over 30 such figures. With few exceptions, all the original statues are unique, repeating, if they had been carved out of stone of a different color.

Easter Eggs

The first egg was commissioned Faberge Czar Alexander III in 1885 Due to its instant success, Faberge was granted a permanent order of the imperial court and comply with the Easter eggs one by one, ten - for the Tsar Alexander III, which he every year up until the death of 1894, gave his wife, Maria Feodorovna, and another 44 - the period between 1895 and 1916. - For Tsar Nicholas II as gifts for his mother, then had the Empress Dowager, and his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna. In total, the emperor's order they were created 54 Easter eggs. You can also assume that some eggs were donated in time and other members of the imperial family. Today we know with certainty what to have survived 45 Easter eggs made by royal order; preserved picture of another; 5 more aware of the descriptions. Preserved as one of the two unfinished Easter eggs, work on which were conducted in 1917.

A series of Faberge Easter eggs, carried out for two Russian emperors - the most ambitious project ever accrue to the share to one of the jewelers. Conditions there were only three: the egg-shaped form, "surprise" and the lack of reps. "Surprise" was frequently associated with a particular event in the life of the royal family - birthday, anniversary, age, coronation. Some of these Easter gifts decorated with royal monograms and (or) the dates, many children are miniature portraits of the emperor or images royal residences, include two models of the ships on which sailed the last Russian emperor. Faberge took this project very seriously, often planning to work in the years ahead. And Indeed, some of these Easter eggs require more than a year of work. "Surprise, hidden in the gift the king was kept very secret, even from the Emperor himself," - wrote F. Bierbaum. Egg or solemnly portrayed the king himself, Carl Gustavovich or Yevgeny Karlovich and always met with enthusiasm.

Products reinforced with clasps and hinges, if necessary, can be disassembled for care or repair. Regardless of whether or disassembly is provided initially or not, this feature allows to keep all of its mechanical components in good repair. This, in turn, removes many restrictions in the choice of materials. Faberge liked the combination of precious materials with those that have low monetary value.

The most common "shell eggs enamelled in Fabergé-known technique. If the egg consisted of two halves of the drop-down, designed, developed so that the inlay carefully masked the closed edge of both halves.

Decorative plates, attached to the surface of Easter eggs, not only identifies a particular artistic style, but also helped to create stories that prejudge or emphasized the importance of being inside the surprises. Some important decorative details were still as grounds for the foundation and supporting pillars. choice of material for the manufacture of decorative finishes dependent on their purpose.

When making Easter eggs as a substitute for gold, and has the beauty and strength, used ormolu (ormolu). Also used gold-plated silver (vermeil), which has an even more brilliant the surface compared with bronze. Silver has also been applied to produce a framework of miniature portraits, surprises. For purely decorative purposes Faberge often used color gold. Correctly selecting the ratio of pure gold and other fine metals, he received a set of different shades of saturation.

A lot of Easter eggs decorated with solid decorative finish, usually called cagework (grid, grid, frame). Themselves or in combination with other details of decor, "grid" made from a wide variety of materials.

Most of the details of external finishes, ranging from skeletons and festoon of gold of different colors and ending with the leaves and stems of flowers on an Easter egg "Lilies of the Valley", is attached to its shell with tiny clasps. Fasteners soldered to the back of the fastening parts, inserted in the holes in the shells. They then bent along the inner surface of the shell in order to firmly secure decorations. During drilling holes in the enamel shell of the egg was immersed in water, to drill for overheating and does not damage the enamel coating.

Among the "surprises" hidden in many Easter eggs by Faberge - miniature models, made of precious materials, jewelry, as well as images of people, events and places that had significance for the imperial family. Some surprises - in fact, individual works of art that can be seen or, in some cases, result in motion, only the extraction of eggs. Other secrets can be observed through the pro-zrachnuyu shell eggs. Opening of the eggs are attached to hinges. Top-sided part can serve as a cover. The sides of the doors may be capable of opening up or down depending on the location sharnirov.Detal outer shell eggs, hides a surprise, usually mounted on the spring hinges are designed so that when you press a button or dogs, she gently opened.

There was no object, which would have frightened Faberge craftsmen in their size and would have seemed impossible for a miniature reproduction as a surprise for the Easter eggs. MODEL Gatchina Palace and adjacent areas, with trees, lamp posts, was made of engraved and textured gold four colors. Model of the monument to Peter the Great, Falconet executed by order of Catherine the Great, also found expression in a "surprise".

Simple mechanisms applied in some Easter eggs, obviously, have been designed specifically for each case. Simple gear raises and lowers three miniature portrait of Czar Nicholas II and his elder daughters, Olga and Tatiana in Easter egg "Lilies of the Valley." With the full scope of the mechanism of thumbnails are arranged in a fan-shaped, so that everyone can see the portrait. Imperial crown, crowning a portrait of the king, when lowering portraits turns into fleuron over the closed egg.

In some eggs embedded clock. Clockwork is wound keys, which are usually inserted into a hole in the rear of the case, but there are mechanisms for winding through the handle. Some Easter eggs watches have a horizontal band of figures rotating opposite the fixed mark. Inside the special eggs hidden figures of birds that appear every hour from the top of the eggs.

Perhaps the most famous "surprise" is the coronation coach of the Easter eggs "Coronation" - a miniature model of a length of 3 and 1 /6 inches, made of gold and enamel - an exact copy of the coach used for the coronation of Nicholas II and his wife's 1896 "Curtains "engraved directly on the small window of rock crystal. Decorated door handles, smaller than a grain of rice, rotate, opening and closing the door on the latch. Case rests on the carriage strap that amortize as real leather, thus swinging and body on the chassis when driving crew.

The most intricate secrets set in motion by clockwork mechanisms. The basis for the establishment of these mechanisms served Swiss machines XVIII century, but the layout of the train in an Easter egg "The Great Siberian Way" is an exact replica of this locomotive and wagons Trans-Siberian Express. The current model trains formed section by section in a padded velvet pouch inside the egg. Map of the railway route and crowning the whole composition heraldic eagle are also a hint of surprise hidden inside the egg. In the best traditions of Faberge Easter Egg "The Great Siberian Way" and his "surprise" are among those works of art that delight the eye, captivate the imagination and warm the soul.

"Falshberzhe"

All the things that were sold by the company, wore it a stigma, except in cases where a product was so small that the stigma of simply had no place, or if it was so fragile that "branding" would injure the thing itself. All fake, however, all fake Faberge supplied with stamps. And if the 70-ies poddelschiki often mistaken for branding, the latest wave of fraud has reached in this regard is almost perfection.

And at the same time, we are faced with a peculiar problem - the things that really created by the master and that even in times of Faberge sold without stamps. These include animal figures, floral arrangements, some figures of stone and jewelry. Sculptural images of animals, created by Faberge, branded very rarely and only on metal parts, and were too small for engraving. No marks and original cases, they represent a challenge to the paraphernalia - the definition of authorship and authenticity of the thing itself. Stems of flowers were also too fragile for engraving, and only a small part of flower arrangements Faberge marked scenes. Stamping same Work clothes-ly made of platinum when the law was unnecessary, as well as most of Faberge jewelry made from this particular metal, if the original case has been lost, proof of authorship and authenticity of the things are left. This category of products and proved to be an ideal field for manufacturers of fakes.


These problems began to arise during the life of Faberge. With the growth of his international fame after the Paris World Exhibition foreign competitors began to adopt the style of Faberge. Imitating him famous jewelers in London, Vienna, Berlin, fought by Faberge for his rich Russian and English clientele. Books accounting Cartier (Paris) contain many of the same names that appear in the books of Faberge. The books mentioned Cartier 169 flower arrangements, one of which was purchased from Faberge. It also listed 200 animal figures from gems, many of which are purchased from the same suppliers of ornamental stones, and supplied that most Faberge: Ovchinnikov, K. Vefel, Denisov-Ural.

Several figures in the fields and some descriptions of animals at the map is very reminiscent of Faberge. Their mysterious disappearance from view of collectors and experts leaves no doubt that the earliest sculptures of animals of the card is now irrevocably entangled with the works of Faberge, and in this, obviously, one of the reasons established by art historians of his stylistic anomalies "of the animal world." The same apparently happened with some of the early floral compositions Cartier.

Soon after the death of Carl Faberge, his two sons, Joe and Alex, together with a specialist in stone and the former manager of the Moscow branch of the company, Andrea Marchetti, and Giulio Gereri, a jeweler from the Moscow firm "Laurie," opened in 1924 in Paris, the company "Faberge & Cie. "According. Eugene sold his father's belongings, renovating them, re-covered with enamel. He succeeded. The company ordered carved stone figures of animals in Idar Oberstein, moreover, some of them made design Alexander Karlovich.

License to use brand name "Faberge" as a trademark at one time was sold to Parisian jewelry firm of Gerard. " She is now owned by Unilever. Today is also a goldsmith and Maier from Pforzheim acquired the right to make their own "Faberge" and Andrew Ananov in St. Petersburg, with his workshop from 40 jewelers, makes its so-called "Faberge in the style of Ananova.

Already in 1934, openly raised the question about the forgery Faberge. In the United States poddelschiki active since 30-ies, since the prices of the work of the famous wizard and his firm skyrocketed, and demand began to exceed supply. Among these early imitations include many floral bouquets on display in some American museums. All of them are pretty rough work, and made a master or one group of masters, most likely in Idar Oberstein in Germany.

More serious fraud began to appear in Europe since the mid 50's, when color photographs and drawings of stamps in the new detailed monographs gave craftsmen and their customers with the samples on which they were able to create their own simulations. These easy to identify counterfeits, as they invariably and directly copy the already existing, well-known originals (as a rule, all things Fabergé unique, except for some). All this, mainly figurines made of stone, flower arrangements and animals of the gems.

In the 1960's from the Soviet Union poured a stream of workshops fakes. Whether it comes from some of Nahum Nicholas and his brother Basil Konovalenko. These people specialize in selling authentic antiques Russian enamel in Technology cloisonne, which they skillfully overwrote the old stamps and placed on top of them hallmarks of Faberge. More serious fakes were sold by their carvings of animals and stone statues, which are quite a few fell on the Western auctions. In 1969, 15 artists were arrested, N. Nicholas sentenced to 6 years in labor camps in Siberia. V. Konovalenko from the early 80's living in New York and works as a sculptor.

Located in New York studios also issue a significant number of all kinds of things with the stamps of Faberge. They have a number of assistants who travel around the world and sell "products Faberge (for example, harlequin - sets of blades for cutting paper with imperial monograms and coats of arms)," discount "does not guarantee the authenticity of their belongings.

Style "Brooklyn poddelschika" is easily recognizable: he works in stone and in the enamel guilloche. Hallmarks and quality are impeccable. The most obvious feature is its abuse of imperial symbolism: all the things "pereshtampovany" double-headed eagles, the imperial cipher and monograms (these characters, implying the "authentic" identity things imperial family, in fact, very rarely used for that purpose). Another distinguishing feature is the abuse of laurel wreaths in the style of Louis XVI.

Counterfeit items of Faberge, which has reached tremendous size, will continue to find more buyers for as long as inexperienced buyers do not believe that a handful of truly recognized experts, which can be found on both sides of the ocean.