BY FABERGÉ, WITH THE WORKMASTER’S MARK OF ERIK KOLLIN, ST PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1890, SCRATCHED INVENTORY NUMBER 53820

Erik Kollin was Fabergé's head workmaster from 1870 to 1886. He specialised in gold and silver articles in the historical style, inspired by both the European Renaissance and Russian medieval pieces. Kollin gained fame for himself and the firm of Fabergé with his skilful replicas of the Scythian gold kept in the Imperial collections at the Hermitage; the designs were awarded a Gold Medal at the All-Russian Industrial Art Exhibition of 1882.

Kollin’s workshop also mounted a variety of hardstone pieces, such as kovshii, charki and bonbonnières, with elegantly burnished or reeded gold.