BY FABERGÉ, THE FIRST CIRCA 1900, THE SECOND CIRCA 1880

Details

TWO JEWELLED GOLD PORTRAIT BROOCHES
BY FABERGÉ, THE FIRST CIRCA 1900, THE SECOND CIRCA 1880
The first shaped as a trefoil, centring a watercolour on ivory miniature depicting two grandchildren of Friedrich Ludwig Mertens (1812-1887): Robert Mertens (1894-1975) and his sister Xenia Mertens (1899-1977), signed by Johannes Zehngraf (1857-1908), within a diamond-set border and further white guilloché enamel border, mounted with three diamonds, with rose gold suspension loop and backing; the second shaped circular, centring a watercolour on ivory miniature of Friedrich Ludwig Mertens, within a yellow gold diamond-set border and further guilloché pattern gold border set with four diamonds, unmarked, each in the original fitted velvet and silk-lined case stamped in Russian 'Fabergé St Petersburg Moscow.' beneath the Imperial warrant
The first: 1 5/8 in. (4.2 cm.) high; the second: 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) diameter (2)

Provenance

Acquired by the family of Friedrich Ludwig Mertens before the Russian Revolution.
By descent to the present owner.

Special Notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. Items which contain rubies or jadeite originating in Burma (Myanmar) may not be imported into the U.S. Please be advised that a purchasers inability to import any such item into the U.S. or any other country shall not constitute grounds for non-payment or cancellation of the sale. With respect to items that contain any other types of gemstones originating in Burma (e.g., sapphires), such items may be imported into the U.S., provided that the gemstones have been mounted or incorporated into jewellery outside of Burma and provided that the setting is not of a temporary nature (e.g., a string).

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Lot Essay

The following collection of jewellery (lots 214-219) is offered at auction for the first time by the descendants of Friedrich Ludwig Mertens (1812-1887), owner of a prominent nineteenth-century fur business that was located on 21 Nevsky Prospekt in St Petersburg. Mertens moved to Russia from Germany in 1832 and acquired the impressive structure, still known as the Mertens House Building, in 1871. The present-day appearance of Mertens House dates to 1910-1912, when Friedrich Ludwig Mertens commissioned the architect Mikhail Lyalevich to remodel the building in current Neo-classical and Art Nouveau style. V.V. Kuznetsov added sculptural details to the faade. The remodelled building forms an essential part of the layout and view of the Nevsky Prospect.
According to his descendants, Friedrich Ludwig Mertens supplied the Imperial family with furs from his shop and most likely knew the Fabergé family personally. He was married twice and had twenty-one children. As a result of the Revolution, his descendants left Russia between 1917 and 1925.

Johannes Zehngraf (1857-1908) was a Danish miniaturist, who executed miniature portraits for the royal families of Europe during the nineteenth century. He was the chief miniaturist for Fabergé. His works appear on a number of the Imperial Easter Eggs, including the Lilies of the Valley Egg (T. Fabergé, L. Proler, and V. Skurlov, The Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs, London, 1997, p. 32).

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