This exhibition looks at master goldsmith Carl Fabergé, the man behind the worldwide renowned enterprise that represents Russian workmanship, richness, and elegance, as well as the Anglo-Russian partnership that saw a London branch open in 1903.
It’s difficult to believe there’s anything else to learn about Fabergé’s world. However, there is a slew of lesser-known details about the world’s most famous goldsmith, including his ties to the Russian Tsars and the mythical Imperial Easter Eggs.
Carl Fabergé didn’t start the business. Gustav, his father, founded it in 1842 in St. Petersburg.
Carl Fabergé joined the family firm in 1864, when he was 18 years old, after a Grand Tour of Europe during which he studied goldsmithing in museums, libraries, and private collections. He also received goldsmithing training in St. Petersburg and a crucial apprenticeship with master goldsmith Josef Friedman in Frankfurt.
Carl Fabergé acquired complete leadership of the business in 1872 when his father retired, and his ingenuity and restless imagination propelled it to become the world’s foremost goldsmith.
