FABERGÉ, A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND RARE ANTIQUE ROCK CRYSTAL, RUBY AND PLATINUM 'RED CROSS' ICE

FABERGÉ, A HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND RARE ANTIQUE ROCK CRYSTAL, RUBY AND PLATINUM 'RED CROSS' ICE JEWEL PENDANT, WORKMASTER ALBERT HOLMSTROM AFTER DESIGN BY ALMA PIHL, CIRCA 1915 in platinum and yellow gold, the brushed rock crystal accented by frost motifs set with rose cut diamonds, inlaid with a gold cross set with square step cut rubies, inventory number marked indistinctly, 4.1cm, 7.4g.

Provenance: This pendant is one of only two known pendants presented to Swedish nurses in 1915. It was originally presented to Karin Spångberg, the private nurse for Dr Gösta Nobel, Ludvig Nobel’s youngest son, thence by descent until bought by Private Collectors. As well as this continuous and unbroken provenance, this Fabergé jewel is a rare example the ice or frost jewels created in rock crystal, platinum and diamond, adorned with a ruby set cross to be given as personal gifts on behalf of the Nobel family to members of the Red Cross. Many of these jewels were originally created in order to test the techniques and designs used before they were used to create Imperial Easter Eggs. This can certainly be said for the original frost jewels created by Fabergé for one of their most important clients, the industrialist Emmanuel Nobel, designed by Alma Pihl in 1911. The design of this pendant relates it to both the Winter Egg of 1913 and the Red Cross Egg of 1915. It also follows the rare creation of a jewelled egg make not for the Imperial family but for Nobel - the Nobel Ice Egg, commissioned between 1913 and 1914.

For the other Red Cross Ice Jewel awarded to nurse Signe Zander in 1915, see Sothebys, Treasures, 5 July 2022 - sold for £214,000.

This Winter Jewel follows other rare examples offered on the open market: Sotheby's, Russian Works of Art, Fabergé and Icons, 26 November 2019, lot 304 - sold for £175,000

Christies, Important silver, objects of vertu and Russian works of art, 20 April 2001, lot 136F - sold for $116,000

Christies, Important Russian Art, 27 November 2017, lot 208 - sold for £112,500

For another Fabergé jewel, this one to practice the technique needed for the creation of the Imperial Mosaic Egg of 1914, please see Christies, A Selection of Fabergé Masterpieces from the Harry Woolf Collection, 29 November 2021, lot 21 - sold for £350,000.