Precious Time: Queen Victoria's Rock Crystal, Diamond and Ruby Clock, 1900

Clock
Michael Perchin
c. 1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Created by Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) around 1900, this desk clock of carved rock crystal is mounted with gold, silver-gilt, enamel, rose diamonds and rubies.  It was presented to Queen Victoria by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, her granddaughter,  in 1900.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty had a fondness for her Tsarina granddaughter.  According to the Royal Collection, "On receipt of the news of the death of Tsar Alexander III, on 1 November 1894, the Queen wrote of the new Tsar and Tsarina in her journal:

‘What a terrible load of responsibility & anxiety has been laid upon the poor Children! I had hoped and trusted they would have many years of comparative quiet & happiness before ascending this thorny throne.'"

The Queen was thrilled with this gift from the young Tsarina and appreciated its unusual, noting its difference from the majority of Fabergé’s clocks in her collection.  The others are in the form of gold strut clocks, enameled in a wide variety of colors and set with gemstones in gold. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

This clock, however, is crafted predominantly of rock crystal which has been engraved with trophies incorporating torches and a quiver as well as musical attributes. The rock crystal lobed panels are divided by four mounted gold arrows set with rubies and diamonds. 

White enamel forms the dial which is  surrounded by a bezel of green enamelled laurel with diamond-set ribbon ties. 

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the clock was given to the future King George V who kept it on his desk until his own death.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Precious Time: Queen Victoria's Rock Crystal, Diamond and Ruby Clock, 1900

Clock
Michael Perchin
c. 1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Created by Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) around 1900, this desk clock of carved rock crystal is mounted with gold, silver-gilt, enamel, rose diamonds and rubies.  It was presented to Queen Victoria by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, her granddaughter,  in 1900.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty had a fondness for her Tsarina granddaughter.  According to the Royal Collection, "On receipt of the news of the death of Tsar Alexander III, on 1 November 1894, the Queen wrote of the new Tsar and Tsarina in her journal:

‘What a terrible load of responsibility & anxiety has been laid upon the poor Children! I had hoped and trusted they would have many years of comparative quiet & happiness before ascending this thorny throne.'"

The Queen was thrilled with this gift from the young Tsarina and appreciated its unusual, noting its difference from the majority of Fabergé’s clocks in her collection.  The others are in the form of gold strut clocks, enameled in a wide variety of colors and set with gemstones in gold. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

This clock, however, is crafted predominantly of rock crystal which has been engraved with trophies incorporating torches and a quiver as well as musical attributes. The rock crystal lobed panels are divided by four mounted gold arrows set with rubies and diamonds. 

White enamel forms the dial which is  surrounded by a bezel of green enamelled laurel with diamond-set ribbon ties. 

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the clock was given to the future King George V who kept it on his desk until his own death.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Mastery of Design: The Fabergé Pear, 1903

Pear by Michael Perchin
1903
Acquired by Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection 
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

I wish the tree in my backyard grew these. Created for Fabergé in 1903 by Michael Perchin (or, Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin, depending on your language of choice) (1860-1903), this pear is made of nephrite mounted with gold and diamonds.

The object is actually a small box and cover. Fabergé and his craftsmen took great pride in elevating the simplest of items as well as offering realism in their designs. For example, this pear even features a reeded gold stem which terminates in a diamond as well as leaves of gold which have been accentuated with “dewdrops” of diamonds. The rim of the box’s base is also densely set with a band of rose-cut diamonds. 


This box was part of a large suite of Fabergé desk accessories which were acquired by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Mastery of Design: Queen Victoria's Rock Crystal, Diamond and Ruby Clock, 1900

Clock
Michael Perchin
c. 1900
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Images Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Created by Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) around 1900, this desk clock of carved rock crystal is mounted with gold, silver-gilt, enamel, rose diamonds and rubies.  It was presented to Queen Victoria by Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, her granddaughter,  in 1900.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Her Majesty had a fondness for her Tsarina granddaughter.  According to the Royal Collection, "On receipt of the news of the death of Tsar Alexander III, on 1 November 1894, the Queen wrote of the new Tsar and Tsarina in her journal:

‘What a terrible load of responsibility & anxiety has been laid upon the poor Children! I had hoped and trusted they would have many years of comparative quiet & happiness before ascending this thorny throne.'"

The Queen was thrilled with this gift from the young Tsarina and appreciated its unusual, noting its difference from the majority of Fabergé’s clocks in her collection.  The others are in the form of gold strut clocks, enameled in a wide variety of colors and set with gemstones in gold. 

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

This clock, however, is crafted predominantly of rock crystal which has been engraved with trophies incorporating torches and a quiver as well as musical attributes. The rock crystal lobed panels are divided by four mounted gold arrows set with rubies and diamonds. 

White enamel forms the dial which is  surrounded by a bezel of green enamelled laurel with diamond-set ribbon ties. 

Upon the death of Queen Victoria, the clock was given to the future King George V who kept it on his desk until his own death.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection

Gifts of Grandeur: The Cabochon Agate Box by Perchin, 1935

Box
Michael Perchin
Pre-1896
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

One of the great things about the Royal Collection is that there's so much of it that, I'll never run out of things about which I can write.  Every so often, I'll go back to the archives to look for something about which I've written before, and will be unable to find the object again.  You see, the collection on display changes all the time.  But, the upshot of this is that I'll find something new to me, often by a favorite artist.

Take this box for instance.  It's the work of Michael Perchin, or, more accurately, Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903), who, along with Viktor Aarne, was one of the greatest workmasters in the history of Fabergé.  I've a particular fondness for the work of Perchin (Perkhin) and Aarne.  Queens Mary, Alexandra and Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) did as well, and, therefore, there's quite a lot of it in the Royal Collection.  So, I was quite pleased to see a piece I've not seen before.

This oval-shaped box was created by Perkhin (Perchin) before 1896, and was added to the Royal Collection in 1952 by Queen Mary, shortly before her death.  The box, influenced by asian design is constructed of gold, guilloché enamel, and an impressive cabochon of banana-colored agate.  The whole of the lid is bordered by gorgeous European-cut diamonds, and the thumbpiece is set with a most impressive solitaire flanked by two smaller diamonds.

The underside bears the mark of Michael Perchin; FABERGÉ in Cyrillic; and a gold mark of 72 zolotniks which indicates that it was made before 1896.

I know it's not a banana, but I count the color of the agate as being appropriate to our theme today.

Gifts of Grandeur: Queen Mary’s Coronation Vase, 1896-1903

Vase
Michael Perchin for Fabergé
1896-1903
Inscribed and Presented in 1911
The Royal Collection

King George V and Queen Mary, much like George’s grandmother and grandfather (Queen Victoria and Prince Albert) delighted in giving gifts to one another. These were often presented for no reason whatsoever, but, on special occasions, they were always quite grand.

Take this vase of rock crystal, gold, enamel, cabochon rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, for example. This work by Michael Perchin of Fabergé was originally purchased by Leopold de Rothschild from Fabergé's London branch, 1911 (thought it had been made a little over twelve years earlier). Rothschild presented the vase to King George V, who in turn gave it to Mary of Teck, his Queen Consort, on their coronation day, June 22, 1911

King George V wrote in his diary, “Today was indeed a great and memorable day & one which we can never forget…There were hundreds of thousands of people who gave us a magnificent reception.”

Created in the Renaissance style, the vase is engraved with stylized fire-birds and is inscribed with the date of the coronation and the royal arms. The inscription, obviously, was added later. The rest of the design is defined by polychrome enamel set with cabochon rubies, sapphires and emeralds upon the gold mounts. When King George V presented this to Queen Mary, he filled it with orchids grown in his hot houses at Gunnersbury Park.

Mastery of Design: A Lovely Fabregé Egg

Pendant
Michael Perchin
1896-1903
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

This gorgeous enamel and diamond pendant dates between 1896 and 1903 and is the work of Fabregé artist, Michael Perchin. It was purchased by Queen Alexandra while still Princess of Wales as an Easter Gift.

Everything about this piece is stunning—from the magnificent blue to the glitter of the diamonds.

Mastery of Design: Queen Alexandra's Parasol Handle, 1896

Parasol Handle
Michael Perchin, pre-1896
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Made by one of Fabergé’s finest workmasters, Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903) (also known as Michael Perchin), this parasol handle is constructed of chalcedony mounted with gold, enamel and brilliant-cut diamonds. It’s difficult to date Perkhin’s works sometimes. This one dates to sometime before 1896.

The handle takes the form of a parrot’s head. It has long since been removed from its use as a parasol handle, and, has since been mounted as a paperweight on a base of nephrite. The bird’s head is made of grey chalcedony and his eyes are yellow brilliant-cut diamonds mounted and black enamel and gold. He wears a collar of two bands of green guilloché enamel and one of diamonds.

This once graced one of the parasols of Queen Alexandra, Consort of King Edward VII.  

Mastery of Design: Queen Alexandra's Fabergé Paper Knife, c. 1896

Paper Knife
Michael Perchin
Pre-1896
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of
Her Majesty
Queen Elizabeth II

If anyone liked the work of Fabergé more than Queen Mary, it was her mother-in-law Queen Alexandra (1844-1925, consort of King Edward VII). Between the two of them, they amassed one of the largest collections of Fabergé in the world.

This glorious paper knife is the work of one of Fabergé’s most prolific and talented work-masters Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903, also known as Michael Perchin). The date of creation is hard to decide, but it resembles Perkhin’s pre-1896 style.

The knife is made of nephrite mounted with gold, quartzite, enamel, rose-cut diamonds and sapphires.

Aside from its beauty and material value, this paper knife had a certain significance to Queen Alexandra as the elephant refers to Denmark. Queen Alexandra was, prior to her marriage to the Prince of Wales, Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The knife most likely appealed to her since the symbols of an elephant and a castle were typically incorporated in the design of all Danish royal insignia. There are several miniature elephants by Fabergé in the Royal Collection thanks to Queen Alexandra. This is one of the few ornamental items which also served a purpose.

Mastery of Design: Queen Mary's Fan Snuffbox, 1903

Snuffbox by Michael Perchin
1903
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Mary had a weakness for Fabergé, as we know, and she especially favored the works of Viktor Aarne and Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin (1860-1903). In fact, Perkhin (also spelt Perchin) was the most represented Fabergé workmaster in Queen Mary's monumental collection.

This box from 1903 was a particular favorite of Her Majesty Queen Mary. A work of bloodstone, gold, and pink guilloché enamel, cabochon mecca stone, diamond, pearls, this box by Perchin takes the form of a hand fan surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds. What would be the fan's handle forms the hinge. It is set with pearls and the thumb-piece is adorned with a cabochon moonstone.

Mastery of Design: The Fabergé Pear, 1903

Pear by Michael Perchin
1903
Acquired by Edward VII and Queen Alexandra
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

I wish the tree in my backyard grew these. Created for Fabergé in 1903 by Michael Perchin (or, Mikhail Evlampievich Perkhin, depending on your language of choice) (1860-1903), this pear is made of nephrite mounted with gold and diamonds.

The object is actually a small box and cover. Fabergé and his craftsmen took great pride in elevating the simplest of items as well as offering realism in their designs. For example, this pear even features a reeded gold stem which terminates in a diamond as well as leaves of gold which have been accentuated with “dewdrops” of diamonds. The rim of the box’s base is also densely set with a band of rose-cut diamonds. 


This box was part of a large suite of Fabergé desk accessories which were acquired by King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II