Fabergé occupies a singular place in the history of the decorative arts, uniting technical brilliance, imagination, and the enduring allure of imperial Russia. While the celebrated Imperial Eggs remain its most iconic creations, the wider world of Fabergé is far richer and more varied, offering collectors an extraordinary range of objects in which artistry and craftsmanship meet. This introduction by Angie Afifi explores how Fabergé’s legacy was formed, why it continues to captivate collectors, and what makes these works so compelling today.
Text by Angie Afifi
Few names in the world of the decorative arts have the power to conjure images of opulence and refinement quite like Fabergé. For more than a century, the name has stood for luxury, innovation, and exquisite craftsmanship. Even people who are not collectors of jewelry or decorative arts are familiar with the famous Fabergé eggs created for the Russian Imperial family. But Fabergé represents much more than a handful of masterpieces. For collectors today, the world of Fabergé offers a wide field of discovery: thousands of objects ranging from jewelry and silver to miniature carvings, each reflecting the same spirit of artistry that defined the brand’s golden era.
The story begins in 1846, with the birth of Peter Carl Fabergé in St Petersburg. His father, Gustav, had founded a small jewellry firm in the city. Peter Carl trained abroad, studying in Germany, France, and England, before returning to Russia in the 1870s to take over the family business. His vision differed from many jewellers of his time. Rather than emphasizing only diamonds and precious stones, he focused on design, originality, and flawless execution. The workshop became a laboratory of creativity, employing some of the finest goldsmiths, enamelers, and stone carvers in Europe. This combination of artistry and innovation soon attracted the attention of the Russian court.
In 1885, Tsar Alexander III appointed Fabergé “Goldsmith by Special Appointment to the Imperial Crown.” That same year, the firm created its first Imperial Easter Egg, presented by the Tsar to his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. The white enamel egg opened to reveal a golden yolk, which in turn contained a tiny hen and a miniature crown. This playful yet exquisitely crafted object delighted the Empress and gave rise to a new tradition: each year, an Imperial egg was commissioned as an Easter gift from the Tsar to his consort, and later a second egg was made for the Dowager Empress. Over the next three decades Fabergé created about fifty Imperial Eggs, each one unique, concealing an imaginative surprise. Some marked personal moments, like the “Lilies of the Valley” egg with portraits of Nicholas II’s daughters, while others celebrated achievements of the Empire, like the ‘Trans-Siberian Railway’ egg containing a working model train. Today, fewer than fifty Imperial Eggs survive, held by museums such as the Kremlin Armoury and the Fabergé Museum in St Petersburg, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, and a few private collections. Their rarity and imperial association make them legendary in the art world.
Although the eggs are Fabergé’s best-known works, they represent only a fraction of the firm’s output. The workshops produced thousands of objects for the Russian elite and an international clientele: cigarette cases, clocks, silver tableware, miniature hardstone animals, jewelry, picture frames, and religious icons. One of the firm’s signatures was its mastery of enameling. Fabergé’s craftsmen perfected guilloché enamel, applying translucent colored enamel over an engine-turned metal surface to create shimmering effects in blue, pink, green, and other shades. Another popular line was the hardstone animals: small, lifelike sculptures of dogs, cats, rabbits, elephants, and other creatures, often with tiny jeweled eyes. These pieces, both charming and finely crafted, remain highly collectible today.
Behind these creations stood not only Peter Carl Fabergé himself but also a circle of exceptional workmasters who managed the production of entire workshops. Erik Kollin (1836-1901), the first head workmaster, established the clean and elegant style of the early years and oversaw many of the firm’s initial commissions. Mikhail Perchin (1860-1903), who took over in the 1880s, brought a new level of inventiveness and was responsible for some of the earliest and most imaginative Imperial Easter Eggs, blending intricate mechanisms with rich decoration. Later, Henrik Wigström (1862-1923) carried the tradition forward, producing some of the most technically sophisticated and artistically ambitious pieces of the pre-revolutionary period. For collectors today, the marks of these workmasters are not just signatures but vital indicators of origin and authenticity. They also give each object a more personal connection to the skilled artisans who transformed Fabergé’s vision into reality.
The Russian Revolution of 1917 abruptly ended Fabergé’s golden age. The Romanov dynasty fell, the firm was nationalized, and Peter Carl Fabergé fled the country, and he died in Switzerland in 1920. Many of the firm’s treasures were sold abroad, dispersing Fabergé’s legacy into private hands and museums around the world. This dispersal also helped fuel interest among collectors in Europe and America, who were fascinated by the artistry and by the dramatic story of a vanished empire.
Collecting Fabergé today offers many pathways. Some collectors are drawn to jewellery — brooches, cufflinks, or pendants — that can still be worn and appreciated daily. Others prefer small decorative objects like enamel boxes, frames, or cigarette cases, prized for their colours and fine details. Many are charmed by the hardstone animals, which combine humor and skill in equal measure. Each type of object offers its own appeal, and together they show the extraordinary range of Fabergé’s workshops.
Part of the appeal of collecting Fabergé lies in the personal connection it creates. To hold a Fabergé object is to connect directly with the late imperial world of Russia — a period of immense creativity and dramatic change. Every piece, no matter its size, carries this historical resonance.
Museums today play a vital role in keeping the Fabergé tradition alive. The Fabergé Museum in St Petersburg, founded by collector Viktor Vekselberg, is one of the largest private collection of Fabergé in Russia, and they have nine of the Imperial Eggs. The Kremlin Armoury in Moscow has ten eggs, while outside Russia institutions such as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the British Royal Collection have several Imperial eggs along with broad collections of works of art by Fabergé helping to make it accessible to the public. These museums not only allow collectors and enthusiasts to study authentic examples but also ensure that Fabergé remains a living tradition rather than a closed chapter of history.
Why does Fabergé remain so important today, more than a century after the fall of the Romanovs? Part of the answer lies in history: the name is inseparable from the glamour and tragedy of imperial Russia. But the deeper reason is the artistry itself. Fabergé’s craftsmen turned metal, stone, and enamel into objects that continue to captivate with their humor, refinement, and imagination. A guilloché enamel box still glows with the same iridescence; a carved jade rabbit still seems to have a spark of life in its eyes. These are not simply luxury objects, but works of art that transcend their time.
For anyone drawn to collecting Fabergé, the appeal goes far beyond beauty—each object is a tangible link to a vanished world of artistry and history. At Vickery Art Collections, Fabergé holds a special place at the heart of our Private Russian Kunstkammer, where we present a private grouping of Fabergé assembled in Europe over the past fifty years. Encompassing jewellery, silver, hardstone animals, and exquisite enamel pieces, this collection offers collectors the rare opportunity to explore Fabergé’s genius in depth and variety. It is not only a testament to the legacy of Peter Carl Fabergé and his master craftsmen, but also an invitation to enter that legacy yourself.
