Gifts of Grandeur: A Fabergé Duckling, c, 1908

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

Throughout the years here, we've looked at many animals by Fabergé which had been collected by Queens Alexandra, Mary and Elizabeth II.  Among the lot are four models of ducks, two of which we've seen.  However, this one which has recently been added to the Royal archive is my favorite.

The work of Henrik Emanuel Wigström (1862-1923), c. 1908, this expressive duck is modeled in aventurine quartz with eyes of rose diamonds, gold.  He was commissioned by King Edward VII as part of the famed "Sandringham Commission."  The legs of the duckling are crafted of chased red gold.

Crown Copyright
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Mastery of Design: A Scent Flacon by Fabergé, 1900

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

Before Queen Mary, Consort of King George V, filled the Royal residences with Fabergé creations, her mother-in-law, Queen Alexandra, consort of King Edward VII, had already amassed a tremendous collection of her own--from her Fabergé farm in miniature which we've examined in great detail to the much-ballyhooed eggs to bell-pushes, desk-sets, clocks, picture frames and even little curiosities such as this scent flacon made by Carl Fabergé himself circa 1900.

The pieces is carved from a piece a aventurine quartz and is adorned with rose-cut diamonds and a cabochon ruby set in gold.  It's one of several scent flacons which Fabergé made in this form during a time when he was playing with the idea of imitating earlier Chinese carvings.

Her Majesty Queen Alexandra most likely acquired this flacon in 1904.  The records of The Royal Collection indicate that Her Majesty purchased a Fabergé scent flacon in jade at Lady Paget’s charity bazaar in 1904.

It could be that the records were referring to this piece.  However, I'd like to note that this piece is aventurine quartz which is not jade, which is a silicate mineral.  Still, the keeper of the records in 1904 might not have known the difference upon sight as the two minerals do look similar.  

Mastery of Design: The Blue-Eyed Fabergé Guinea Pig, c. 1900

Guinea Pig
Carl Fabergé
Crown Copyright
The Royal Collection
Image Via The Royal Collection Trust and
Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Of the dozens upon dozens of miniature precious Fabergé animals in The Royal Collection, there are two Guinea Pigs.  One has ruby eyes, and one has sapphire eyes.  This is the latter.  

Made of quartzite, aventurine quartz, obsidian, and cabochon sapphires, this adorable and valuable rodent was made around 1900 for Queen Alexandra who started the whole "miniature menagerie" madness.  

His body of white translucent quartzite is inlaid with pale patches of tawny aventurine-quartz.  Wee ears in obsidian rise above and especially bright eyes of cabochon sapphires, making him far cuter than his younger brother.

Gifts of Grandeur: A Fabergé Duckling, c, 1908

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

Throughout the years here, we've looked at many animals by Fabergé which had been collected by Queens Alexandra, Mary and Elizabeth II.  Among the lot are four models of ducks, two of which we've seen.  However, this one which has recently been added to the Royal archive is my favorite.

The work of Henrik Emanuel Wigström (1862-1923), c. 1908, this expressive duck is modeled in aventurine quartz with eyes of rose diamonds, gold.  He was commissioned by King Edward VII as part of the famed "Sandringham Commission."  The legs of the duckling are crafted of chased red gold.

Crown Copyright
Image Courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II