A Menagerie of Fabergé Coming to Sotheby’s

Around 30 whimsical Fabergé animal carvings will go up for auction at Sotheby’s Geneva in May.

Lauren McLemore lauren.mclemore@nationaljeweler.com

A selection of carved Fabergé animals from Castle Howard will appear in Sotheby’s “Fabergé, Gold Boxes, & Vertu” auction in Geneva on May 6, with part of the proceeds going to benefit the restoration of the estate’s tapestry drawing room, which was damaged in a 1940 fire.

London—On May 6, Sotheby’s will auction off a collection of Fabergé animals from Castle Howard, the 300-year-old home to the Howard family, a British dynasty whose members have been collectors of art and furnishing for generations.

The estate, a country house in the hills of North Yorkshire, features antiquities, paintings, furniture, and works of art, including one of the last important groups of Fabergé animals in private hands, Sotheby’s said.

The animals were crafted with Fabergé’s whimsical charm, influenced by the miniaturist carving traditions of Japan, China, and Europe—such as Japanese netsukes, of which Carl Fabergé had his own collection—and generally small enough to fit in one’s hand.

Until now, they were stored in a leather case in the private reaches of the estate, brought out only once or twice a year to adorn the dining table for a large dinner party.

The collection also has parallels to the “Sandringham” collection of Fabergé animals commissioned for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra in 1907 and now held in the Royal Collection, according to the auction house.

“In just over 30 exquisite works, the Fabergé animals from Castle Howard parallel both those owned by the British Royal Family and members of the Russian Imperial Court,” said Helen Culver Smith, Sotheby’s global head of Fabergé and Russian works of art.

“With the latter disassembled by [the Russian] Revolution and the former still held in the Royal Collection, the sale of these hidden treasures marks an exceptional opportunity for collectors worldwide to acquire pieces that fully demonstrate why Fabergé earned a prime position in royal and noble collections throughout Europe.”

Fabergé’s production of hardstone animals included pigs, dogs, frogs, ducks, and elephants in a range of poses and colors.

The pieces on offer at Sotheby’s Geneva in May range in scale from a tiny vole carved of smoky quartz to a large obsidian rhinoceros.

An elephant carved in rock crystal is estimated to fetch £20,000 to £30,000 (approximately $25,180 to $37,770).

Fabergé rock crystal elephant — This rock crystal elephant is one of the largest animals in the Howard collection.

Fabergé jeweled bloodstone anteater — A rare Fabergé jeweled bloodstone model of an anteater, made in St. Petersburg, Russia, between 1887 and 1900

More exotic animals appeared less frequently.

An anteater carved in bloodstone ranks among the rarest, said the auction house, with only a few known examples of the animal in existence.

It is estimated to sell for £45,000 to £65,000 (approximately $56,650 to $81,830).

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British jeweler Kenneth Snowman has described Fabergé’s animals as “essays in stone,” as the brand took great care in sourcing material with the right colors and markings for each creature.

A rhinoceros that is part of the auction is made in white obsidian, an iridescent variation of the typically dark volcanic mineral, with natural effects that mimic the wrinkles in the animal’s skin.

Fabergé rhinoceros — This obsidian rhinoceros, St. Petersburg, circa 1900, was potentially inspired by Albrecht Dürer’s inaccurate print, “A Rhinoceros,” of which there has been a woodcut print in the Royal Collection since circa 1810, according to the auction house.

The auction house said it is an “exceptionally rare” example of a large Fabergé carved animal figure.

It is estimated to sell for £50,000 to £70,000 (approximately $62,950 to $88,130).

Fabergé also utilized a range of agates, often found in the Ural Mountains of Russia with red, brown, or gray hues, that suggested natural variations in fur, feathers, or hide.

Fabergé agate Siberian ibex — A Fabergé jeweled agate model of a Siberian ibex (right), St. Petersburg, circa 1900-1914

A Siberian ibex on offer is formed of one piece of single stone, the negative space between the horns and the body a testament to Fabergé’s understanding for carving in three dimensions, according to Sotheby’s.

It’s estimated to fetch £45,000 to £65,000 (approximately $56,650 to $81,830).

The Howard collection also features a selection of birds, including a gold-mounted owl figure, an owl study in nephrite, and a rare agate model of a hoopoe with gold feet.

Fabergé owl — A gold-mounted owl-figure (est. £40,000 to £60,000, or approximately $50,360 to $75,540)

Fabergé agate hare — A jeweled agate model of a hare with diamond eyes (est. £40,000 to £60,000, or approximately $50,360 to $75,540)

Fabergé smoky quartz mole and topaz rat — A miniature smoky quartz model of a vole (right) and a topaz model of a rat (left), both estimated to sell for £20,000 to £30,000, or approximately $25,180 to $37,770

Charming woodland creatures are also on offer, featuring a hare carved from aventurine quartz, a topaz model of a rat, and a small smoky quartz vole.

The Howard collection, which also includes Fabergé and European desk accessories, will be offered as part of Sotheby’s “Fabergé, Gold Boxes, & Vertu” auction in Geneva in May.

Part of the proceeds from the sale will go toward the restoration of the tapestry drawing room in Castle Howard, which sustained damage in a fire in 1940.

Castle Howard was built for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle, designed by his friend, architect and dramatist John Vanbrugh, in 1699.

“I’m sad to be losing this beautiful collection, but it deserves to be seen more often than it currently is. And the proceeds of the sale will assist us in the re-creation of the tapestry drawing room, which will be seen by everyone who comes through the house,” said Nicholas Howard, who runs the estate today with his wife, Victoria.

The reopening of the space is set for April and will feature a return of the tapestries that originally hung in the room.

Prior to the “Fabergé, Gold Boxes, & Vertu” auction on May 6, highlights will be exhibited to the public at Sotheby’s Dubai from April 7 to 11, at Sotheby’s London from April 25 to 29, and at the Mandarin Oriental in Geneva in May.

For more information on the collection, visit the Sotheby’s website.