Description A FINE FABERGÉ SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND BROOCH, ST...

Description

A FINE FABERGÉ SAPPHIRE AND DIAMOND BROOCH, ST PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1885

Of floral design, the elegant branch highlighted with an old cushion-shaped diamond to further rose-cut diamond accents and terminals, suspending five graduated oval-shaped cabochon sapphires within collet-setting, each within an old single-cut diamond surmount, mounted in gold, with town mark for 'St Petersburg', struck with maker's mark in Cyrillic 'M and ?' (mark is rubbed) and attributed to one of the senior work master of the House of Fabergé 'Mikhail Perkhin', with scratched inventory number 517**, within its original fitted case and signed in gold 'K.Fabergé' in Cyrillic, length 4.9cm

Reference: Encyclopedia of Whos Who in the House of Faberge by Will Lowes and Christel Ludewig McCanless, page 227

This piece is attributed to senior workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin, a self-taught goldsmith who learned his trade from rural craftsmen in the Olonets province. Of peasant stock, he moved to St Petersburg as a young boy, took an apprenticeship at Fabergés St Petersburg headquarters and quickly rose through the ranks of the workshop, becoming senior workmaster in 1886. Perkhin was responsible for more than half of the Tsar Imperial Easter eggs and the best of Fabergés gold objects were produced in his workshop. He helped Carl and Agathon expand the business, to include new techniques and inventions such as transparent enamel and varicoloured gold, hardstone animals and flowers. One of Fabergés most treasured pieces the Balletta vase, named after the Russian prima ballerina Elizabet Balletta, came from Perkhins workshop.

Provenance

The brooch of floral design was a gift from Frederick James Merrilees, who served as guardian to a young girl brought up as a companion to the Merrileess only daughter. The Merrilees were very generous to their daughters companion and she lived an extremely privileged life in their care in England, from the age of 8 to 18 years. This brooch was consigned by the granddaughter of the female companion. Frederick James Merrilees (sometimes spelled Mirrielees) was born in Russia of a Scottish father, Archibald Mirrielees (1797 1877), who arrived in St Petersburg and founded Muir and Mirrielees Trading Company in 1857. Prior to his partnership with Andrew Muir, Archibald had been resident in St Petersburg from 1822 and in 1843 he established his own company, which was one of the most significant Anglo-Russian merchant houses. In the 1880s Muir and Mirrielees moved to Moscow, the impressive new premises was designed by the famous Russian architect Roman Klein. It was the first and largest department store in the last days of the Russian Empire and offered everything the Muscovites could wish for, satisfying not only the rich and high society, but also middle-class customers. The company was Nationalised during the Russian revolution and was renamed TsUM after 1922. The Merrilees had access to the very best of Russian jewellery and the delicate floral brooch is a tribute to the outstanding workmaster Perkhin, who left an impressive legacy of Fabergé pieces.