Birthday of Karl Faberge

Karl Faberge

Karl Peter Faberge was born on May 30, 1846 in Saint-Petersbourg, Russia. His father was a jeweler. Karl got interested in the jewelery very early and his artistic talent revealed itself already in childhood. His father provided for Karl to receive the necessary education. He studied in a German gymnasium in Saint-Petersbourg and later in France, Paris. For several years he studied jewelry in different European cities. In 1872 Karl became the manager of his father's workshop. 

Karl Faberge won his first golden medal at an exhibition in Russia where he presented women's jewelry. 

Faberge eggs

       At approximately the same time Karl began to provide the emperor's court with the jewelry. As years went, the work of Faberge got more and more popular. He was mentioned at the court and the quantity of his jewelry grew. Faberge also fixed jewelry of those working for the court thus winning trust and credibility in the Hermitage. As he had access to the collection of the jewelry in the museum, he could study the works of other jewelers and learn about their technical methods. Karl Faberge satisfied the taste of the public by providing them with all kinds of useful things: cigarette cases, lamps, bells, watches. He was very inventive and his works were of great quality and exquisite. Easy to recognize, they marked the rank of their owner. 

The famous collection of Easter eggs was created by the order of the emperor and included at least 54 eggs. Today, 45 of these eggs have been preserved. A picture of one of them exists. 5 more eggs are known by their description. There is also one unfinished egg, that was worked on during 1917. 

After Revolution in 1917, the belongings and the collections of the Faberge family were confiscated or robbed. At the end of 1917 Faberge closed his workshop in Saint-Petersbourg, gave his collection to the manager of the Hermitage and left Russia. 

He died in 1920 in Lausanne and was cremated.
In 2004, thanks to the purchase of Russian businessman Victor Vekselberg, the Forbes collection of Faberge eggs bought for 100 000 000 dollars, was returned to Russia.

 

Faberge: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts