A set of twenty animal sculptures by the famed jewelry firm, Fabergé, are set to be auctioned at Elmwood in London on May 29.
Three of the animals were owned by the Russian imperial family. Among these is one of only five Mystic Apes carved from Bowenite, expected to fetch over $35, 000.
Another, an obsidian pigeon with diamond eyes and gold feet, is accompanied by a note, reading: "From Olga of Russia Xmas 1907," referring to Grand Duchess Olga Alexandrovna, younger sister of Tsar Nicholas II, and who sent the pigeon as a Christmas gift to her aunt, Princess Thyra of Denmark. The third Romanov animal is a bowenite frog with ruby eyes and a mouth set with diamonds. What makes it remarkable is that it is carved doing a handstand, inspired by the netsuke carvings that Carl Fabergé collected.
The rest of the collection has ties with other European noble families: a life-size agate dormouse with sapphire eyes and silver whiskers, holding strands of straw made of gold, was a gift to Immanuel Nobel, father of Alfred Nobel who invented dynamite and founded the Nobel Prize.
Nineteen of the twenty animals were amassed over a four-year period, "through a pure love of Fabergé's inimitable animals-for their craftsmanship, quality, and the unique personalities that they convey," said the anonymous British collector. "While I'm sad to be parting with them, I hope that they will go on to be treasured in the same way as I have loved them over the last eight years."
Measuring only a few centimeters in height, made of semi-precious or hardstones and decorated with jewels and precious metals, the Fabergé sculptures are expected to sell for more than $1.2 million.
The Fabergé family are famous for their ties with the Russian Romanovs, who commissioned the jewelers to create bejeweled eggs, 57 of which survive today. The most expensive is encased in 18k gold covered with sapphires and diamonds, and was priced at $33 million in 2014.
