Fabergé and the Russian Crafts Tradition: An Empire's Legacy

A comprehensive overview of Russian decorative art, published to coincide with an exhibition at the Walters Art Museum and the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution This book gives a comprehensive overview of Russian decorative art from the twelfth century to the early twentieth and includes some of the most technically accomplished works of art ever produced. These exquisite pieces range from a twelfth-century gold enamel pendant and jewelled Byzantine icons, to a seventeenth-century casket in the shape of a palace, intricately worked drinking bowls and cups, an eighteenth-century painted enamel snuffbox in the form of an envelope, decorated enamel cigarette cases, a magnificent Chinoiserie tea set, an oval box with the monogram of Tsar Nicholas II picked out in diamonds, two magnificent Fabergé eggs, including one that opens up to reveal a miniature model of the Gatchina Palace, and a finely crafted diamond necklace with portraits of the four daughters of Nicholas II, who were killed in the Russian Revolution. The core of this magnificent collection of Russian art was acquired by Henry Walters for the Walters Art Museum in the years following the Russian Revolution and reveals the sophistication and breathtaking skill of Russian artists. This book accompanies an exhibition on Fabergé and Russian art at the Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, being organized to mark the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

Contents List

Foreword by Julia Marciari-Alexander • Introduction by William R. Johnston and Robert Mintz • 1. Baron Stieglitz, the Polovtsov Family, and the Pursuit of Art, Karen Kettering 2. Alexandre Polovtsoff, Diana Scarisbrick • 3. Imperial Russian Jewelry, Diana Scarisbrick Catalogue, Margaret Kelly Trombly • Late Nineteenth–Early Twentieth-Century Russian Enamel Artisans, William R. johnston • Endnotes • Bibliography • Glossary • Family Tree

List of Contributors

William R. Johnston, Karen Kettering, Robert Mintz, Diana Scarisbrick