Lot 0102
Extremely Rare Faberge Desk Clock in the Original Case by Mikhail Perchin
Estimate: 45000-65000€
An Extremely Rare Fabergé Desk Clock in the Original Case
Workmaster Mikhail Perchin (1860–1903), Fabergé.
Petersburg, late 19th century
Scratched inventory number: 937
Dimensions: 10.2 × 10.4 cm
Of shaped rectangular form, enamelled in translucent pale blue over an engine-turned guilloché ground, within a finely chased acanthus border, the corners decorated with gilt triangular rosettes and suspended laurel swags. The circular white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and pierced blued-steel hands is surrounded by a reeded gold bezel. Contained in its original fitted Fabergé case stamped with the Imperial warrant and K. Fabergé, St. Petersburg.
Mikhail Perchin (1860–1903) was one of the most important goldsmiths of the House of Fabergé. Born in the Olonets province of Russia, he moved to St. Petersburg at seventeen, apprenticed with the jeweler Vladimir Finikov of the Bolin firm, and became a certified master goldsmith in 1884.
By 1888, with Carl Fabergé’s support, Perchin opened his own workshop, which employed up to sixty craftsmen. From his workshop came the most celebrated Imperial Easter Eggs—twenty-eight of the fifty commissioned by Emperors Alexander III and Nicholas II—including the Rosebud (1895), Coronation (1897), Lilies of the Valley (1898), and Cockerel (1900) eggs.
Beyond the Imperial commissions, Perchin’s studio produced exquisite presentation gifts, frames, clocks, and objets de fantaisie, marked by his elegant taste, subtle enamel work, and technical perfection. He collaborated closely with miniature painters, lapidaries, and enamellers, setting a standard that defined Fabergé’s golden era.
Perchin’s career was tragically short—he died in 1903 at the age of forty-three—but his artistic legacy shaped Fabergé’s aesthetic identity. After his death, his pupil and close friend Henrik Wigström (1862–1923) took over his workshop, continuing its exceptional output for the Imperial Court.
Comparable Works:
A closely related Fabergé desk clock by Mikhail Perchin, in pale blue guilloché enamel with laurel swags, was sold at Christie’s, The Private Collection of Joan Rivers, New York, 22 October 2016, lot 45.
Starting price: 40000€
Estimate: 45000-65000€
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