If you missed last week’s Christie’s London micro sale of Fabergé objects, a petite gathering of 84 carved animalia, objets de vertu, and other collectibles by the celebrated Russian jeweler extraordinare, you can still get your guilloche enamel fix at another venue across the pond. Fabergé in London: Romance to Revolution has opened at the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A), London’s incredible museum devoted to all aspects of the decorative arts.
On view through May 2022, the exhibition tells the story of Russian goldsmith Carl Fabergé and his little-known London branch via 200 objects that culminate in a robust display of the jeweler’s legendary Imperial Easter Eggs, several of which are being shown in the U.K. for the first time. There are 15 eggs in the exhibit, each a unique expression of opulence, ingenuity, and craftsmanship; together they form the largest collection on public display in more than 25 years.
Yes, there is also jewelry, including the pendant below, the work of one of Fabergé’s best-known female designers, Alma Pihl.
There is also an aquamarine and diamond tiara that Frederick Francis IV, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin gave to his bride, Princess Alexandra of Hanover and Cumberland, on their wedding day in 1904.
But, really, this is a chance to egg it up with wild abandon, perhaps starting with the following examples.
And if you can’t get to London IRL, you can experience the a version of the exhibit in its accompanying book, which seems like the perfect holiday gift for any jewelry lover. Not to mention a whole bunch of Fabergé-inspired stocking stuffers!
Top: Third Imperial Egg, 1886–87 (all photos courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum)
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