Well-known antiques expert and consultant Eric Knowles is blown away by a silver-gilt enamel cigarette case by one of Fabergé’s lesser-known work masters

Fabergé Cigarette Case

The word Fabergé is synonymous to most people with one of the Russian jeweller’s famous and most opulent Imperial Easter Eggs, commissioned by the Russian tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II for their wives and mothers. But the company was also responsible for a host of other high-quality jewellery and objets d’art, and we were delighted when a silver-gilt enamel cigarette case crafted in the early 20th century, appeared in the Etwall saleroom in Derbyshire.

Such cases were primarily made by Fabergé between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, under the direction of Peter Carl Fabergé, son of the firm’s founder. Designed by skilled work masters, each case was a masterpiece of craftsmanship, often made of gold, silver, or platinum, and richly decorated with enamel, gemstones, and intricate engraving. These cases were not merely functional but served as status symbols and cherished gifts among the Russian aristocracy.

Feodor Rückert

This case was the work of Feodor Rückert (1840-1917), famed for his exceptional enamel work and long-standing collaboration with Fabergé. Until recently little was known about Rückert, who was born in Germany in 1840 and emigrated to Russia aged 14 to work for the Yusupov family, later famous for its role in the assassination of the ‘Mad Monk’, Grigori Rasputin.

Records show by 1886 Rückert had opened a successful painting and silver studio in Moscow, then the centre of Russian silver production, at 29 Vorontsovskaya Street. But his longstanding relationship with Fabergé is thought to have started around 1887, when the jeweller opened the doors of a Moscow branch.

The move south was a canny one by the firm. Moscow, not then the capital, was none the less fast establishing itself as an international hub and home to a growing merchant class who, with their palatial homes and fine clothes, were keen to showcase their wealth at any opportunity. And while Fabergé’s wealthy St Petersburg clients looked to the west for inspiration, in Moscow the newly rich preferred the more patriotic designs depicting Russian history, folk tales and Orthodox iconography.

Patriotic zeal

It was in these themes that Rückert excelled, producing exceptional quality enamel on filigree artworks in the traditional Russian style, often reproducing art works of famous Russian painters, such as Viktor Vasnetsov (1848-1926) known for favouring themes of folklore and Russian history. He never worked exclusively for Fabergé, continuing to produce silver for other important Russian retailers such as Ovchinnikov, Kurlyukov and Bolin.

After 1908, Rückert’s work started to combine elements of the art nouveau, including abstracted floral forms and geometric motifs, with Russian themes. This was arguably his best period. His pieces are usually marked with his initials “Ф.Р.” (in Cyrillic), alongside Fabergé’s mark when they collaborated.

The cigarette case, which sold for £36,000, is decorated with intricate polychrome cloisonné enamel, featuring a stylised floral pattern in vibrant colours, and a beautiful en plein enamel image inspired by Mikhail Ivanovich Avilov’s 1913 painting Tsarevich Ivan Ivanovich on a Walk.

It is dated 1915 and engraved with a presentation inscription in Cyrillic, marking it as a commemorative gift from the Russian State General Electricity Company. With its sapphire cabochon thumb-piece and hallmark in Cyrillic, it is a stunning example of the Imperial Russian craftsmanship that made Fabergé famous.

As well as being a well-known face on a number of TV programmes on antiques and collectables, Eric Knowles is a consultant at Hansons Auctioneers. For more information go to www.hansonsauctioneers.co.uk