Fabergé Carvings Previously Owned by the Romanovs Head to Auction
Want to decorate your home like a royal? Well, you might want to start thinking about acquiring a few hardstone animals. Luckily, 20 of them by the renowned Russian jewelry firm Fabergé are heading to sale at Elmwood's auction house on May 29. These home trinkets are expected to sell for over $1 million.
They aren't any regular hardstone animals by Fabergé, though (not that any of them are truly regular). Many of them have been owned by various royal families around the world. The imperial model of a Mystic Ape (lot 4) is estimated to sell for upwards of $35,000, the jeweled gold frog (lot 11) is expected to sell for upwards of $50,000, and the jeweled gold pigeon (lot 18) is expected to sell upwards of $50,000.
These objects all came from the Russian imperial family, and have been owned by British aristocracy. Other lots, like the resting cabochon-ruby-eyed sparrow (lot 15) and the chalcedony pouter pigeon (lot 17) also came from British aristocracy. Items from other European royal families include the gold-mounted smoky quartz bunny (lot 12) and agate owl (lot 8).
"This collection has been amassed through a pure love of Fabergé’s inimitable animals," the anonymous British collector who is selling these items said in a release. "For their craftsmanship, quality, and the unique personalities that they convey. While I'm sad to be parting with them, I hope that they will go on to be treasured in the same way as I have loved them over the last eight years."
Fabergé is a revered name in the jewelry world; jeweler and goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé is closely associated with the imperial eggs he would craft for the Russian imperial court. His eggs were not simple, and were often adorned with exquisite jewels and objects. The most expensive imperial egg is made of an 18k gold case covered in sapphires and diamonds. It was originally found by a scrap antiques dealer who bought it for $13,000 and later found that it was worth $33 million in 2014.
To learn more or sign up to bid, please visit elmwoods.co.uk.
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