From Bearberries to Harrods : Russian Works of Art at Auction 2025

The Fabergé auction year ended on a spectacular high at Christie’s London on December 2 when a hardstone model of a Street Painter (1916) zoomed to £1,500,000 and the fabled Winter Egg (1913) set a new Fabergé record by selling to Wartski’s Kieran McCarthy for £22,900,000. Let’s take a look at how Fabergé fared elsewhere during 2025.

The Collection of Bing & Kathryn Crosby, sold by Sotheby’s New York on December 18, featured forty lots by Fabergé (nine offered without reserve), generating a total $1,930,000. Bing began buying Fabergé in the 1960s – often as White Christmas Presents for his wife Kathryn – from Wartski in London, A La Vieille Russie in New York, and later at auction. A silver-gilt and rose ribbon lilac enamel Pill Box by Wigström (1904-08) trebled estimate on $152,400 (Lot 74, est. $30,000-50,000) while a two-colour gold and enamel nephrite Box by Mikhail Perkhin (c.1890) rated $139,700 (Lot 73, est. $60,000-80,000). A gold-mounted lime-green guilloché enamel Photo Frame by Viktor Aarne (1899-1903) took $69,850 (Lot 72, est. $25,000-35,000).

FLOWER-POWER

Two tiny trays reflected Kathryn Crosby’s penchant for flower studies: a gold-mounted nephrite and pearl Lily of the Valley tray by Wigström (1903-04), 6.9 x 6.3cm, at $88,900 (Lot 78, est. $12,000-18,000); a silver-gilt nephrite and pearl Peapod tray by Viktor Aarne (1899-1903), 14cm long, at $88,900 (Lot 79, est. 20,000-30,000).

Back on 7 February 2025, at Christie’s New York, a Fabergé Bearberry study by Henrik Wigström (1910/11) doubled hopes on $529,200 (Lot 8, est. $200,000-300,000). It stood 11.1cm high in a chunky rock crystal vase, with nephrite leaves and white and red enamel flowers set with rose-cut diamonds. Although the stalk’s LFB mark (used only from late 1910-March 1911) suggests the study was initally presented at Fabergé’s London branch it did not sell until 1913 – in St Petersburg (described as a ‘lingonberry’).

STUDY OF BEARBERRY, H. WIGSTRÖM (LOT 8) — CHRISTIE’S

The buyer was Alexander II’s daughter Grand Duchess Maria, Coburg-based widow of Queen Victoria’s second son Alfred. The study entered the Linsky Collection (New York) after World War II, was exhibited at A La Vieille Russie in 1961, sold at Sotheby’s New York in 1993, and shown at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich in 2017.

In case you’ve never heard of a ‘bearberry’ let me fill you in. Its scientfic name is arctostaphylos (arctos = bear, staphylos = bunch of grapes), although it’s called kinnikinnick (‘smoking mixture’) in Algonquian. It grows in North America and northern Europe, with lengthy, low-lying branches bearing white or pink flowers that mature into red oval fruits. These can safely be eaten by humans as well as bears. The plant’s phytochemicals include ursolic acid, hydroqinones, phenolic glycosides and flavonoids, which I guess you already knew.

STUDY OF VIOLETS, M. PERKHIN (LOT 6) — CHRISTIE’S

An earlier Fabergé study of Violets (1899-1903) by Perkhin – with gold stem, nephrite leaves and painted enamel flowers, 12cm tall – fetched €226,800 against an identical €200,000-300,000 estimate at Christie’s Paris-based on-line sale ending 27 June 2025. It had been in the family of the French consignor since the 1970s and retained its original fitted case.

ANIMAL MAGIC

A short sale at Sotheby’s New York back on 7 February 2025 – pretentiously entitled The One – featured a whimsical nephrite Cigar Lighter (17.8cm long) in the form of a Hippopotamus that detonated a bid of $192,000 (Lot 9, est. $100,000-150,000). It was acquired at Fabergé’s London in 1908 as a gift for Edward VII, and owned latterly by Louisiana surgeon James R. Peltier (1931-2020) before being consigned for auction after the death of his widow Ann. Meanwhile a squat jade Fabergé Elephant (c.1900) from a Texas Private Collection tramped to $108,000 against an identical estimate (Lot 12).

Eighteen Fabergé creatures invaded the on-line sale of Fabergé, Gold Boxes & Vertu run by Sotheby’s Geneva from 6-16 May 2025. All originated from Castle Howard – the Baroque pile north of York famed as the setting of TV’s Brideshead Revisited, and home to ten generations of the Howard Family. The collection was reportedly sold to fund renovations at the behest of Nicholas Howard, a dope-smoking wannabe rock star who became a photographer before taking control of the family estate in 2014 from his late brother Simon (a convicted paedophile) and Simon’s wife Rebecca, who (according to the Daily Mail) fancied herself as a reincarnation of Catherine the Great.

Six creatures cleared CHF 100,000 (£92,000), led by an obsidian Rhinoceros with gold-set yellow diamond eyes, 17cm long, at CHF 279,400 (Lot 1004, est. CHF 55,000-75,000) – just ahead of a quirky bloodstone Ant-Eater, rather smaller but also with two beady diamond eyes, at CHF 254,000 (Lot 1005, est. CHF 50,000-70,000). Two agate Wigström creations came next: a Hoopoe at CHF 127,000 (Lot 1003, est. CHF 50,000-70,000) and an Owl at CHF 101,6000 (Lot 1006, est. CHF 45,000-65,000). The same price rewarded a chalcedony Elephant (Lot 1011, est. CHF 28,000-38,000). Another Elephant, in Kalgan jasper, took CHF 69,850 (Lot 1016, est. CHF 8,000-12,000) as did a nephrite Hippopotamus (Lot 1017, est. CHF 10,000-15,000).

Highest animal prices of the year came from the Crosby Collection at Sotheby’s New York in December 18, when a tiny sapphire Mouse (c.1900), just 3.1cm long with diamond-encrusted eyes and ears zoomed to $355,600 (Lot 76, est. $50,000-70,000). A Seated Lion (1916) carved from a block of aventurine quartz, with yellow diamond eyes and original fitted holly wood case, followed on $317,500 (Lot 77, est. $300,000-500,000). At 21.6cm  this was one of Fabergé’s tallest animal figure. It was made during World War I and failed to sell, being recorded in the ledger of Fabergé’s Moscow branch in 1919.

DAGGERS DRAWN IN DALLAS

CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL PUNCH SET, F. RÜCKERT (LOT 84068) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

Top price at the Fabergé & Russian Works of Art sale at Heritage (Dallas) on 13 May 2025 was $750,000 for a Rückert cloisonné enamel Punch Set (total weight 7kg) – with bowl 22cm in diameter; 12 cups; ladle; and tray 46cm in diameter (Lot 84068, est. $700,000-900,000). The set was confiscated by Soviet authorities in March 1919 and presented to General Motors executive Paul Wachtler in 1925 as a prize for his Buick winning the first (Leningrad > Novgorod) leg of the 3,000-mile Leningrad-Tiflis-Moscow Rally. It remained in Wachtler’s family until May 2021, when it was sold at Ho-Ho-Kus (New Jersey) for $155,000. Someone made a tidy profit!

A gem-set, guilloché enamel miniature Bratina (6 x 7cm) by workmaster Antti Nevalainen (1899-1908), set with four old Russian silver coins around the sides and complete with its original oak presentation case, fetched $57,500 (Lot 84002, est. $30,000-50,000). This bratina was bought jointly in 1900 by Grand Duke Michael & Grand Duchess Olga, the two youngest offspring of Alexander III, possibly as a gift for their mother the Dowager Empress. It appeared at auction in 1994 (Christie’s Geneva) then at Sotheby’s London in 2010 (unsold), and was part of the Fabergé Easter at Harrods exhibition in 2014 (not the most glorious entry on a work of art’s CV).

Two Fabergé clocks scored $50,000 apiece. A Perkhin, silver-mounted bowenite table-clock (Lot 84070) in the form of a half-column (pre-1899), 13cm tall, had turned up last November in Munich – catalogued as ‘style of Fabergé’ by Hermann Historica and selling for a paltry €8200. So a tidy turnaround for someone else! The second clock was a Wigström enamel clock, 10.5cm tall, consigned by the descendants of Nikita Tatischeff, Governor of Moscow in 1916-17 (Lot 84071, est. $30,000-50,000). Nikita emigrated to Paris after the Revolution: not the only Tatischeff nobleman to do so. He was aped by Army General Dmitry Tatischeff, grandfather of the great comic film-maker Jacques Tati.

A sale of Fabergé, Imperial & Revolutionary Art at Sotheby’s London on November 25 threw up a couple of handsome Perkhin desk clocks with red guilloché enamel (1899-1903). They were different shapes and met different fates. A circular clock 9.5cm tall sold for £139,700 (Lot 124, est. £120,000-180,000), but a triangular clock 12cm tall was bought in after failing to reach its £150,000 reserve (Lot 125).

 

RUSSIAN, NOT FABERGÉ

IMPERIAL PORCELAIN VASES (LOT 84129) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

Pick of the non-Fabergé material at Heritage on May 13 were a pair of Alexander I Imperial Porcelain vases with fountain and hippocamp decoration, 55cm tall, at $162,500  (Lot 84129, est. $180,000-220,000). The only other known pair with the same design (ascribed to Stepan Pimenov) are in the Hermitage, although one virtually identical vase is in Pavlovsk, and another (with floral decoration) was sold at Sotheby’s London for £75,600 in 2021.

BLACKENED STEEL KINJAL (LOT 84144) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

A gold-inlaid, blackened steel Kinjal (double-edged ceremonial dagger), 55cm long, scored $75,000 (Lot 84144, est. $8,000-12,000). Its scabbard was adorned with double-headed eagles and French fleurs-de-lys; the blade with a crowned R monogram. The kinjal is thought to have been gifted to Prince Robert d’Orléans (grandson of last French King Louis-Philippe) by Alexander II on the occasion of his wedding to his cousin Françoise in Kingston-on-Thames in 1863.

Nasty sort of wedding-present if you ask me!

On December 16 Heritage Auctions offered 164 lots in Dallas from the stock of A La Vieille Russie. Some 143 sold (87%) for a total $1,300,000. Russian 18th and 19th century porcelain was a major contributor to the sale – offering the chance to asses how the market has evolved since eighty high-quality lots of Russian Porcelain, from the Edmond J. Safra Collection, were unleashed at Sotheby’s New York in October 2011.

EMPRESS ELIZAVETA’S SERVICE (LOT 84030) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

Heritage sold six Soup Plates from Empress Elizaveta’s Own Service (c.1760) for $21,250, or $3,540 each (Lot 84030, est. $30,000-50,000). In 2011 a single soup plate from the same service  (albeit accompanied by a dainty condiment spoon) scorched to $35,000 – nearly ten times more! (Lot 1).

Late 18th century porcelain routinely generated prices four to six times lower at Heritage than at the Safra Sale. A Plate from the Yacht Service (c.1790) scored $3,250 (Lot 84044, est. $4,000-6,000); nine plates from the same service brought $158,900 – or $17,650 each! – in 2011 (Lot 2). A Dinner Plate from the Cabinet Service (c.1795-97) took $3,000 (Lot 84038, est. $4,000-6,000); in 2011, four very slightly larger plates brought $80,500 – or $20,100 each (Lot 31).

PLATES FROM ‘THE ORDER OF ST ANDREW SERVICE’ (LOT 84047) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

The trend was repeated with Order Services made by the Gardner factory around 1785-90. Four Dining Plates from the Order of St Andrew Service made $20,000, or $5,000 each (Lot 84047, est. $30,000-50,000); in 2011 a pair rifled to $43,750… over $20,000 each (Lot 15). A Plate from the St Alexander Nevsky Service rated $6,250 (Lot 84052, est. $10,000-15,000); in 2011 a set of eight plates from the same service culled $182,500 – i.e. $23,250 each (Lot 20).

BASKETS OF ‘THE ORDER OF ST VLADIMIR SERVICE’ (LOT 84055) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

PLATES FROM ‘THE ORDER OF ST VLADIMIR SERVICE’ (LOT 84056) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

Top porcelain price at Heritage was $118,750 (or $9,895 apiece) for a dozen Dinner Plates from the Order of St Vladimir Service (Lot 84056, est. $80,000-120,000). There were no comparable plates at the Safra Sale – but it included four green, leaf-shaped Service Dishes that sold for around $90,000 each! A pair of openwork Baskets from the same service took $27,500 at Heritage, or $13,750 each (Lot 84055, est. $50,000-70,000); in 2011 four indvidual baskets of identical design brought a total $298,000 – an average of $74,500 each  (Lots 23, 28, 29 & 30).

It was the same story with 19th century porcelain plates. One from the Nicholas I Etruscan Service departed for $3,750 at Heritage (Lot 84096, est. $6,000-8,000); in 2011 a pair fetched $27,500, or 13,750 a plate – nearly four times more (Lot 36). Twelve Plates from the Kremlin Service (c.1840) took $30,000 in Dallas, i.e. $2,500 a plate (Lot 84085, est. $40,000-60,000); in 2011 ten similar plates fetched $56,250, i.e. $5,625 a plate (Lot 62). Bucking the trend, just, was a plate from the Raphael Service that was manufactured over a two-decade period spanning the reigns of Alexander III and Nicholas II. At the Safra Sale a plate dated 1884 (diam. 24.1cm) fetched $18,750 (Lot 82); a very slightly larger plate (diam. 24.4cm), dated 1903, reached $25,000 at Heritage (Lot 84098, est. $10,000-15,000).

That was the exception proving the bitter rule: hardly anyone collects Tsarist-era porcelain any more. Prices have plummeted so alarmingly over the last fifteen years that I almost feel sorry for A La Vieille Russie. However, to look on the bright side: a depressed market means it’s a good time to buy!

CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL TAZZA, F. RÜCKERT (LOT 69074) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

Heritage followed up on December 17 with a multi-provenance sale of Fabergé & Russian Works of Art ran to 190 Lots, of which 159 sold (84%) for a total $2,800,000. A shaded cloisonné enamel silver-gilt Tazza retailed by Kurlyukov, featuring the ‘partial mark’ of Feodor Rückert (Moscow 1899-1908), fetched $125,000 (Lot 69074, est. $60,000-80,000). Heritage had knocked this down for $160,000 hammer ($200,000 with premium) in December 2024 – but the buyer defaulted.

CLOISONNÉ ENAMEL PUNCH SERVICE, P. OVCHINNIKOV (LOT 69073) — HERITAGE AUCTIONS

A cloisonné enamel silver-gilt Punch Service by Ovchinnikov, presented by Tsar Alexander III to a Chilean Admiral for rescuing a Russian ship off the coast of Latin America, followed on $106,250 (Lot 69073, est. $80,000-120,000). This, too, had surfaced in Dallas in December 2024, when it failed to sell against a $100-200,000 estimate. Although it’s an attractive bit of boozing gear, it’s missing a goblet – which renders it commercially dead in the water, whatever its imperial aquatic provenance.

Sotheby’s sale of the Crosby Collection (ending December 18) saw imposing prices for three lots of diamond jewellery once owned by Catherine the Great and sold off by the Soviet Government in 1927. A pair of diamond-set flower and ribbon Brooches attributed to Duval (c.1770) led the way on $190,500 (Lot 41, est. $20,000-30,000). A single ribbon-and-flower brooch took $95,250 (Lot 40, est. $8,000-12,000) while a gold-mounted Hair Pin (c.1750), 12.3cm long and ending in a sprig of diamond flowers enclosing two pearls, raced to $120,650. It came with a fitted red velvet case and was offered without reserve (Lot 39, est. $5,000-7,000).

Later in the auction a gem-set enamelled wooden Casket by Khlebnikov (Moscow 1908-17), 38cm long with repoussé silver mounts and set with 13 guilloché enamelled cartouches depicting stylized animal figures, culled $107,950 (Lot 113, est. $50,000-70,000). A trio of colourful hardstone/Kalgan jasper Tazze aping bowls of fruit, made at the Imperial Lapidary Workshops in Ekaterinburg around 1875, sold for $63,500 (Lot 114, est. $15,000-25,000.)