Consumer Goods Industry - History, Art Styles & Periods, Collectible Jewelry and Accessories, European Art, Decorative Arts & Design - History
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Overview
"Peter Carl Faberge (1846-1920) is the most famous creator of the stunning gold, silver, and jewel-studded treasures of imperial Russia. Best known for the ornate Easter eggs that were comissioned from him annually by Czars Alexander III and Nicholas II, he and his workmasters created many exquisite objets d'art of a beauty equalling that of the eggs." Today, the creations of the Russian master goldsmiths are dispersed through the world. This book assembles a broad sampling of masterpieces from the great collections in the former Soviet Union and from private and public collections elsewhere. Widely separate holdings of Faberge's art, including many of the imperial eggs, are depicted here in nearly 300 full-color illustrations, a number of which are published for the very first time.Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
The renowned Easter eggs made by Peter Carl Faberge for the czars of Russia lead off this cavalcade of treasures, captured in 277 color plates and two informative essays. Russia's master goldsmiths and jewelers created marvels in clocks, tableware, scent bottles, opera glasses. They fashioned religious icons and chalices drawing on age-old traditions, and innovated forms in carved hardstone flowers or stone figurines. Objects such as cigarette cases have a distinctively Russian feel, while a striking naturalism was achieved in animal carvings of a hippopotamus or a frog. In their opening essay, Smorodinova and Ulyanova, curators at Moscow's Historical Museum, offer a thorough survey of this art and discuss pioneers such as Faberge, Pavel Ovchinnokov and Ivan Khlebnikov. Hill, curator of Russian art for Sotheby's, New York, briefly reviews Faberge's life and artistic sources. (Nov.)Library Journal
``Exquisite from cover to cover'' is the description best suited to this lavishly illustrated volume on the unique creations of Faberge's workshop and of lesser-known contemporaries, including Khlebnikov, Ovchinnikov, and Sazikov. The introductory text details the smithing techniques they used and the rise to worldwide recognition of the artisans who ultimately played an important role in Russian culture. The primary focus of the book, however, is on the spectacular assortment of treasures they created, including eggs, jewelry, tableware, objets de vitrine, and objets de luxe. The objets d'art are arranged by category, with firm, master craftsman, date, size, and brief description offered for each. Highly recommended.-- Stephen Allan Patrick, East Tennessee State Univ., Johnson CityBook Details
Published
December 1, 1989
Publisher
Hugh Lauter Levin Associates
Pages
320
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9780883638897