Lot 0038
Fabergé – Silver-Gilt and Guilloché Enamel Match Holder, Moscow, 1899–1908, Original Case
Estimate: 5000-7000€
“FABERGÉ. SILVER-GILT AND GUILLOCHÉ ENAMEL MATCH HOLDER IN ORIGINAL CASE Moscow branch of the Fabergé firm, 1899-1908.
Silver-gilt, guilloché enamel, cast and applied relief; original fitted wooden case. Weight: 98 g. Dimensions: 2.2 x 7.9 x 3.7 cm.
Marks: Faberge with Imperial Warrant, Moscow assay mark, 84 zolotnik standart.
Description
A refined silver-gilt match holder of rectangular form, the hinged lid inset with a vivid blue guilloché enamel ground over which is applied an elegant Art Nouveau relief composition. The ornament takes the form of a female mask with long, fluid hair dissolving into whiplash curves and sinuous tendrils, the whole conceived in the highly expressive linear idiom of the modern style.
One side of the case is fitted with a ribbed striker, confirming the object’s practical function while preserving the precious, jewel-like character typical of Fabergé’s smaller luxury articles. The interior is fully gilt.
This match holder is an eloquent example of the Moscow branch’s response to the aesthetics of Art Nouveau.
The Moscow branch of Fabergé, established by Carl Fabergé with the active participation of the British subject Allan Bowe, developed a distinctive profile within the firm’s wider production. The shop on Kuznetsky Most, in the Merchants’ Society building, operated in the spirit of a metropolitan showcase: Moscow demanded spectacle and strong display effect. A phototype illustration from the 1893 price list records the interior as a demonstration hall, with carpets, velvet banquettes, columns, wall cases displaying silver and mounted crystal, and low table-vitrines filled with jewels in fitted cases.
It was here that the Art Nouveau line, associated with the principle of the very latest fashions, found especially vivid expression. Art Nouveau manifested itself in flowing contours, asymmetry, graphic rhythm, and the treatment of silver surfaces, as well as in motifs of the circle, the wave, and the vegetal scroll. This language found its most organic expression in small-scale objets d’art.
The assortiment responded closely to current taste: objects that had lost their novelty were gathered up and melted down annually, reinforcing the shop’s image as a place of constant renewal. The production base was the Moscow factory in the San Galli house in Bolshoi Kiselny Lane, employing about 300 workers, where silver production was particularly strong”
Starting price: 4000€
Estimate: 5000-7000€
Hammer Price: €
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