Fabergé from the Wernher Collection: treasures from the Romanovs

When Carl Fabergé was awarded a gold medal and the Légion d’honneur for the 14 jewel-encrusted eggs he presented at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, he knew he had a large customer base waiting for him outside Russia.

Despite France being his country’s closest ally, however, he decided to expand the business he had inherited from his father to the British capital. Carl’s talent as a goldsmith was matched by his business acumen: London was not only the financial capital of the world, but also the home of avid Fabergé collectors King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

The first Fabergé boutique outside Russia opened in London in 1903. Initially operating from the Berners Hotel, it quickly moved to Oxford Street, then Dover Street — and by 1911, Carl had leased a large shop at 173 New Bond Street, which soon became a popular destination for his clients from around the world.

Inside, store manager Henry Bainbridge invited European monarchs, Indian maharajas, English aristocrats and American heiresses to acquire the ultimate status symbols — exquisite ornaments, objects and jewels shipped straight from the Fabergé workshops in St Petersburg and marked with a London stamp.

Surviving ledgers outline the purchases, arguably the most impressive of which stems from Bainbridge having convinced Edward VII to commission bejewelled hardstone miniatures of the animals he kept at his beloved Sandringham estate. The king was so charmed by the tiny model of his fox terrier Caesar that he eventually ordered more than 100 sculptures, among them depictions of turkeys, pigeons and sheep — even his pet bear.

Two other names appear in Bainbridge’s ledgers with notable frequency: Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich (1861-1929) and his wife, Sophie of Merenberg, Countess de Torby (1868-1927).

The grand duke was the grandson of Tsar Nicholas I and had been born in the Peterhof Palace in St Petersburg. He was stripped of his titles, however, and banished from Russia after eloping to Sanremo, Italy, with his bride. Despite being the granddaughter of the poet Alexander Pushkin, she was deemed unworthy of the grand duke.

The exiled couple eventually settled in London, renting Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath. They were close friends of the king and queen, regularly visiting them at Sandringham.

‘They shared the royals’ passion for Fabergé and amassed their own huge collection,’ explains Margo Oganesian, head of the Fabergé department at Christie’s. ‘As well as being frequent buyers, the grand duke and countess also received many objects as gifts; Fabergé was a kind of social currency for Edwardian high society.’

Take their beautiful guilloché enamel and gold-mounted chalcedony double bell-push (above), whose incised inventory number Oganesian traced to an invoice for 160 roubles sent to Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, wife of Tsar Alexander III, on 31 December 1899. ‘It was probably a Christmas gift from the empress to members of her family,’ says the specialist.

Similarly, a rare aquamarine model of an elephant with ruby eyes in its original Fabergé case (below) was most likely a present from Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich, the brother of Grand Duke Michael, to his nephew, Michael de Torby. The note inside the case, inscribed ‘Micha Torby’, is in a style similar to Grand Duke Alexander’s distinct hand.

Bainbridge mentioned in his memoir that the Countess de Torby collected Fabergé elephants, adding: ‘that is the most significant thing I can say about her, because it implies a quiet, undisturbed and jolly humour’.

The kalgan jasper model of an elephant and castle pictured below, with diamond-set eyes and an enamel turret, was probably inspired by the Order of the Elephant, the highest chivalric order in Denmark, and may have been a gift from the Russian Empress Maria, who was Danish.

‘It is very rare and of amazing quality,’ says Oganesian, noting that, in 2021, Christie’s sold a comparable but larger model of an elephant and castle by Fabergé from the estate of the Duchess of Abercorn, the granddaughter of Lady Zia Wernher, for £237,500.

As well as other miniature animals, including a chalcedony cat and an agate pig, the grand duke and countess acquired more practical Fabergé items.

A beautiful pink enamel lorgnette (above) would be used by Countess de Torby, who was often photographed with one. An enamelled, gold-mounted desk clock (below) was another everyday object combining functionality with artistic opulence. The couple also collected Fabergé jewel-set cane handles, scent bottles, brooches and picture frames.

In 1917, the Russian Revolution brought more than 300 years of Romanov rule to an end. Tsar Nicholas II abdicated. One year later, he and his family were executed. Fabergé’s Russian boutiques and workshops were seized by the Bolsheviks, and Carl fled to Germany. In London, the shop’s remaining stock was sold to the Parisian jeweller Lacloche Frères.

The grand duke and countess also lost their fortune, which was tied up in Russia. They moved to a more modest house overlooking Regent’s Park and relied on the generosity of the British royal family to make ends meet.

With more than 50 objects coming to Christie’s from the descendants of Lady Zia Wernher, collectors will have a rare opportunity to acquire some of the last hidden treasures by Fabergé still in private hands.

‘Fabergé collectors initially look for two things,’ says Oganesian. ‘Quality and provenance. These items are easily of museum quality, and as for provenance, you can’t get better than the direct descendants of the Romanovs.

‘On top of that, the group represents various categories of Fabergé artworks, including his delicate flower studies, animals, clocks, frames and parasol handles, and many of the objects have been loaned to exhibitions or featured in important publications on Fabergé; some even have their original boxes. But what I love most about the collection is that it tells a wonderfully personal story of Fabergé’s special, enduring bond with London.’

A showcase of decorative arts from distinguished private houses and estates, Collections is offered online from 25 March to 15 April 2025. Collections: Including the Orange Blossom Collection and Works from ‘Centuries of Taste’ is on view from 27 March to 3 April in New York; Collections: From The Wernher Collection of Fabergé, the Viscount Wimborne and the Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, 4-9 April in London; and Collections: Entre Orient et Occident au XVIIIe siècle, regard d’un amateur éclairé & Souvenirs des princes Murat, 12-15 April in Paris