can look back on such a unique
tradition.
Q8. You a regular lecturer in
both Russia and Japan, and
you are on the advisory board
of the Fabergé Museum. If I
attended your lectures what
would I discover?
GVH: I lecture worldwide about
the history of Fabergé, in every
case stressing the connection
between the past and the
present. I am, therefore, perhaps
uniquely qualified to act as a
spokesperson for the company.
Q9. You serve on the panel of
experts for the Russian Art at
the TEFAF (The European Fine
Art Fair). What makes Russian
Art and the cultural aspect of
Fabergé so important? And
what can we learn from it?
GVH: Only independent scholars
are accepted as members of the
Vetting Committee at TEFAF, the
world’s most prestigious art fair.
We are indispensable authorities
to judge the fair’s Russian applied
works of art. Since Fabergé at
TEFAF is one of the main source
for collectors, it is essential that
every such object is submitted to
the most careful scrutiny. It is
when Fabergé is viewed in such
Polo De’Marco July 2020
numbers – over 200 works are
shown each year – that the great
Russian craftsman’s qualities,
when compared to those of
his competitors, stand out most
evidently.
Q10. When it comes to luxury,
nothing beats Fabergé.
What makes Fabergé so
very different? And why do
you think other luxury brands
are unable to compete with
Fabergé?
GVH: Luxury, elegance and
superlative craftsmanship were
and remain the quintessential
characteristics of Fabergé
jewellery, both past and present.
Today, most of the designs
come from an in-house studio.
As in Fabergé’s day, craftsmen
are selected and trained
based on their particular
merits. This applies especially
to the unique jewel and pearlencrusted
eggs made to order,
as in the days of the Tsars.
Before the Revolution, clients
of Fabergé competing for
jewelled eggs also included
gold and oil merchants. Today,
customers can be wealthy
pearl-merchants or luxury
brands, such as Rolls Royce.
Fabergé is tacitly accepted
today as “owning” the eggshape
and apparently has
no competitors in this field.
Q11. Every detail within a
Fabergé Egg has its own
storyline. For example,
the eggs are made
from precious metals
and semi-precious and
precious gemstones. Why
did Peter Carl Fabergé
make the eggs for the
Romanovs?
GVH: Jewelled eggs as
Easter presents have a long
tradition in Imperial Russia,
as well as, among the royal
houses in Europe. Several
jewelled 18th century eggs
containing hens, crowns and
rings, made for ruling houses can
be found in the treasuries of the
Russian Tsars and of Dresden. For
Catholic and Russian Orthodox
believers, Easter eggs were
always, and still remain, symbols
of the resurrection.
Q12. Lastly, who was the first
egg made for? And why was it
made?
GVH: After the success of the
first Easter egg in 1885, Fabergé
received a standing order to
produce a novel egg as a
present for the Tsarina every
year. This tradition lasted during