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Click the Eggypiece
to see some of the
Faberge Decorated
Eggs
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Click the Eggypiece
to go back to Brief
History
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Peter Carl Faberge: The Man (http://users.vnet.net/schulman/Faberge/bio.html)
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The Faberge family originated in France, but the Protestant family fled
after the Edict of Nantes was revoked in 1685. Eventually, some family
members settled in Russia. Peter Carl Faberge was born in 1846. His
establishing himself independently in 1866, Carl continued to refine his
skills. By age 24, Faberge had inherited his father's jewelry workshop in
St. Petersburg, Russia. For ten years as head of the business, Carl
continued to produce goods similar to other jewelry makers. He also
volunteered his time to the Hermitage, a treasury which stored all of the
precious objects of the Russian czars, including gold artifacts and ancient
treasures.
All of these pieces Carl helped catalog, appraise and repair. He reorganized the business with the help of
his able brother Agathon and forever changed the face of jewelry and art.In 1882 Carl's younger brother
Agathon, a trained jeweler full of ideas, appeared on the scene. The two made copies ancient Russian
treasures and sold them. Eric Kollin, a Finnish craftsman, helped the Faberge brothers make a number of
pieces which they decided to feature at a fair in Moscow. Czar, Alexander III, and his wife, Czarina Maria
were in attendance and made a purchase at the Faberge exhibit. There, Carl Faberge was presented with
a gold medal honoring him as "...having opened a new era in jewelry art."Until that time, many felt the
value of jewelry was intrinsic, based upon the precious metals and stones. Faberge felt that the artistic
creativity and fine craftsmanship of jewelry made it art that transcended bullion value.
Goldsmithing became Carl Faberge's primary interest,
and he hired Michael Perchin, a Russian goldsmith to assist
him in his experiments with gold and enamel. Through careful
examination of works of art, the two learned and attempted to
replicate techniques of earlier artisans. Their efforts were so
successful that even the czar could not distinguish between
the original piece and Faberge's copy of a snuff box in his own
collection. Soon after, Faberge became the Supplier to the
Imperial Court.
Faberge Workshop
The Faberge Workshop
The House of Faberge was staffed with some of the finest goldsmiths and jewelers available.
Interestingly enough, Peter Carl Faberge did not actually create any of the famous eggs that bear his
name. The business was divided into several small workshops, each with its own specialty. In addition to
the fabulous easter eggs, the workshop also produced table silver, jewelry, European-style trinkets, and
Russian-style carvings. The two master jewlers most responsible for the Faberge eggs were Michael
Evlampievich Perchin and Henrik Wigström. Born in 1860, Perchin became the leading workmaster in
the House of Faberge in 1886 and supervised production of the eggs until 1903. Those eggs he was
responsbile for have his MP (MP- Michael Perchin) markings. All signed eggs made after 1903 bear
Henrik Wigstrom's HW mark. Of course, not all eggs were stamped, so other goldsmiths may have
supervised production of some of the eggs.
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