Unusual Artifacts: The Fabergé Parasol, 1896-1903

Parasol
Mikhail Perchin
Bowenite, Gold, Enamel and Diamonds
1896-1903
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Parasols were designed to shield a lady’s delicate skin from the sun, certainly, but they also served a more social purpose, creating another means to draw attention to a lady and display her wealth, taste, fashion and standing in society.

This parasol, designed by Fabergé between 1896 and 1903, while certainly affording a utilitarian purpose, existed mostly as a means of showing off. The handle of bowenite is both practical and beautiful. The hard stone, in hot weather, would have cooled a lady’s hand while showing her sense of taste. The collar with its trelliswork borders and yellow enamel, resembles the Imperial Coronation Egg (now in the private Vekselberg Collection) and a Fabergé box with similar visual characteristics which can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Each triangular section of the pommel’s collar is set with a central diamond.

Fabergé’s Mikhail Evlampievich Perchin (1860-1903), created this parasol. It was commissioned, actually, to be used during Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, however, records show that it was probably not finished in time and was not completed until 1903. 

Mastery of Design: The Gaillard Parasol Handle, c. 1900

Parasol Fittings
Gaillard, 1900
The Victoria & Albert Museum

The work of Parisian maker Lucien Gaillard, we see here fittings from a parasol. Made around 1900, the parasol’s handle is made of carved and bleached horn which has been set with pearls and small rubies in gold settings. The other fittings, tips for the spokes, are made of carved tortoiseshell.

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.  

Unusual Artifacts: The Fabergé Parasol, 1896-1903

Parasol
Mikhail Perchin
Bowenite, Gold, Enamel and Diamonds
1896-1903
The Victoria & Albert Museum

Parasols were designed to shield a lady’s delicate skin from the sun, certainly, but they also served a more social purpose, creating another means to draw attention to a lady and display her wealth, taste, fashion and standing in society.

This parasol, designed by Fabergé between 1896 and 1903, while certainly affording a utilitarian purpose, existed mostly as a means of showing off. The handle of bowenite is both practical and beautiful. The hard stone, in hot weather, would have cooled a lady’s hand while showing her sense of taste. The collar with its trelliswork borders and yellow enamel, resembles the Imperial Coronation Egg (now in the private Vekselberg Collection) and a Fabergé box with similar visual characteristics which can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Each triangular section of the pommel’s collar is set with a central diamond.

Fabergé’s Mikhail Evlampievich Perchin (1860-1903), created this parasol. It was commissioned, actually, to be used during Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897, however, records show that it was probably not finished in time and was not completed until 1903.