Fabergé: The Twilight Years (Drawings and Objects from the Workshop of Henrik Wigström)

Fabergé: The Twilight Years introduces an incredible album of rare drawings from Carl Fabergé’s leading workshop in St Petersburg that have come to light in the National Archive of Finland by pure chance. The album, stored unnoticed in the archive for almost a century, contains beautifully watercoloured drawings of objects produced by Fabergé during the period 1914 – 1917, among these a whole array of elegant cigarette cases, table clocks and enchanting flower studies. Most of the drawings have a completion date, which means that the finished object exists somewhere. This has sparked a treasure hunt for these pieces. A great number of objects matching the drawings have been found and are illustrated in the book. Altogether eleven well known experts on the oeuvre of Fabergé have written fascinating essays related to the drawings, their history, provenance, style and technique. These contributions make the book an important addition to our knowledge and understanding of the art of the great St Petersburg jeweller.