An Imperial Enamelled Gold Miniature Photograph Frame by Carl Fabergé
St Peterburg, pre-1890
in the shape of an equilateral triangle, enamelled translucent mauve over a sunburst guillochage emanating from an oval aperture containing a black and white portrait photograph of Tsar Alexander II held in a rose diamond set bezel, mounted with finely chased trails of four coloured gold floral garlands suspended from half pearl, with mother of pearl backing, supported on a scrolling silver-gilt strut.
Contained in its original silk and velvet lined fitted holly wood case, the lid silk stamped in Cyrillic ‘FABERGE, ST PETERSBURG, MOSCOW.’ beneath the Imperial warrant, the underside of the case inscribed in pencil ‘Mauve enamel picture Frame’ 17th January, 1911. Athens, Alexander II.’
Workmaster: Johann Victor Aarne.
Inventory Number: 3325
Provenance
Purchased from Fabergé by Dowager Tsarina Maria Feodorovna on 7th August, 1900 for 97 roubles.
The collection of Princess Olga of Yugoslavia, née Princess Olga of Greece and Denmark, grandniece of the Dowager.
In addition to being the grandniece of the purchaser of the frame, Maria Feodorovna, Princess Olga was also the maternal great-granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II whose picture is in the frame. The Princess was a celebrated beauty and married H.R.H Prince Paul of Yugoslavia in Belgrade on 22nd October, 1923. Following the assassination of his cousin King Alexander I of Yugoslavia in 1934, Prince Paul became Regent of Yugoslavia and Princess Olga was titled Princess Paul of Yugoslavia. In 1945 the Yugoslav Royal Family were exiled and settled in South Africa.
Exhibited as number 36 in ‘The Last Flowering of Court Art: A Russian private collection of Fabergé,’ hosted by Wartski in 2010.
The original Fabergé invoice to Dowager Tsarina Maria Feodorovna dated 7th August, 1900.
