The Missing Nécessaire Egg by Kieran McCarthy excerpted from Country Life (March 20, 2008, 60-61), includes exciting news about the discovery of a 1949 exhibition photograph of the leading British Fabergé dealer. McCarthy was able to match the photograph in the files of Wartski of London to the original archival description. Fabergé scholars for years have attempted to piece together the history of this egg – now they are eager to find the egg, 3 inches long, it opens to reveal 13 tiny items of ladies toiletry.
The Fabergé Research Site contains a discussion of both the missing 1888 Cherub Egg with Chariot and the 1889 Nécessaire Egg. With the above discovery of the Wartski photograph, another piece has been added to the 1889 egg puzzle. After his extensive investigations McCarthy concurs that the reflection of the Cherub Egg as seen on the extant von Dervis exhibition photograph is correct, but not the image of the 1889 egg.
Spring Auction Highlights
Sotheby’s New York on April 16, 2008
Fabergé Carved Smoky Quartz Nautilus Shell Cup
(Courtesy Sotheby’s)
Christie’s New York on April 18, 2008
Carved Nephrite Model of an Elephant, 7 1/2 in. tall
(Courtesy Christie’s)
Bolin Jewellery Auction, Stockholm, on April 20, 2008 (Courtesy of Willand Ringborg)
Heritage Auction Galleries, Dallas, Texas on April 24, 2008
New Trend – Online Collection Databases
Museum collections are beginning to add their collection records, sometimes with provenances, to the Internet. In some cases a caveat states the records were created from historic documentation and do not necessarily reflect “current knowledge about the object”.
New Databases
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens
- The Walters Art Museum
New on the Fabergé Research Site
- Subject Index for Archival Newsletters
- Enlarged Collectors Section
Readers of this newsletter are invited to share information about Fabergé happenings worldwide.