Topic: Faberge
A highlight of Webb's 20 June Fine Jewellery sale will be the exquisite Imperial Period Faberge box which was brought into Webb's last month by a Vendor who was unaware of the item's significance. The item, among others, was consigned to Webb's weekly affordable sale - where low value collectible items are sold at little or no reserve.
The discovery, by Webb's Head of Antiques, James Hogan and Jewellery specialist Chris Devereux caused much excitement, not least for the Vendor!
As Chris Devereaux states; "such pieces appear in the market only very rarely, and are highly sought after, it is anticipated to gain the interest of collectors and connoisseurs both nationally and internationally and I estimate it will sell for between $10,000 - $20,000, if not more"
The exquisite late Imperial Faberge Box is made from panels of lapis lazuli framed in yellow gold, the lid is engraved crystal bordered by seed pearls and the thumb-piece set with diamonds. In Cyrillic script, an alphabetic writing system developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD, it bears the marks for Faberge, the mark for workmaster Henrik Wigstrom, and a mark for St. Petersburg 1908-1917, 56 zolotniks (14ct) together with a further scratched inventory number 20203.
The fabulous jewels and objects of virtue created by the workshops of Peter Carl Faberge are some of the most desired and collectable items in the world. The reason is two-fold: firstly they demonstrate a level of craftsmanship that is unrivalled, and secondly the history of Faberge is intimately and forever linked with the romance surrounding the splendour of the Russian Imperial court.
© Voxy.co.nz. 13 June, 2012