Romanov Tiaras

[Luke T.]

Danjel has the most complete collection of pics of the Romanov tiaras at  http://nl.msnusers.com/RoyaltyDanjel2/rusindexw.msnw

[3710]

Dear Nick
can I ask you if you have any strong ideas on the tiara which allergedly was made for GD Mikhail Mikhailovich's morgantic wife, countess Torby. It is now temporarily on the display in the Hermitage in an effort to raise money for it's purchase and there were publications that it is not Bolin  (might be wrong spelling) to start with  and perhaps has nothing to do with Romanovs altogether. Funnily is was called nothing less then a ''small crown'' in several publications (to boost the value so that some ''oligarkh'' will feel like splashing out?). You opinion will be much appriciated.
Galina

[Nick_Nicholson]

Dear Galina,

I haven't even seen any pictures of this, though I read the articles when the Marquess of Milford Haven decided to sell the piece.  Itwould be virtually impossible to tell who made the tiara unless the bills are extant or if the original drawings exist in the Bolin archives.  Even if the piece is in a Bolin box it might not mean much -- pieces were often made by other jewelers and then "retailed" by people like Bolin and Faberge.

I think it would be nice if the piece were acquired for the Hermitage, but I personally think they would be better off acquiring a major piece by Faberge made for the Imperial family (and there are a few available), rather than a tiara from a slightly lesser jeweler made for a morganatic spouse...

Best,

nick

[3710]

Thank's Nick,
Can't agree more about buying Faberge instead. Piotrovskii has a great idea of creating  the Faberge Museum in the company's former building on Morskaya street.  Hope he would be able to go ahead with it. There are so many little pieces by Faberge in most unusual places, like Gornyi (Mine?) University in St.P just to mention one, would be great to have them all together and in St.Petersburg, not in Moscow!
Just in case anyone wants to have a look at this GD Michael tiara: http://www.spbvedomosti.ru/2004/03/13/karl.shtml
Galina
PS Nick, Could you write  more about Romanov's Faberge available for sale now? Not that I am in the position to buy , just interesting to know.....

[Nick_Nicholson]

Dear Galina,

I agree with you completely about the idea of setting up the Museum in Faberge's old shop on Bolshaya Morskaya -- however, I must say that the idea for the museum had nothing to do with Dr. Piotrovskii.  The idea for the Faberge museum was created by the US-Russian joint venture the "Faberge Arts Foundation: which has offices in Washington DC, St. Petersburg, and now Moscow. www.fabergearts.org

In fact, Piotrovskii has opposed the Faberge Museum, because part of the goal is to concentrate the various undisplayed state collections (for example, Pavlovsk has a large collection formerly in the ALexander Palace which is not displayed, and Gatchina, Peterhof, and the Catherine Palace have objects which aren't diplayed anywhere either.  The Fersman Minerological Institute has a big collection as well.), and Piotrovskii's goal is to have all those collections at the Hermitage.  The FAF also wants to turn Faberge's dacha (at Levashovo?) into a Jeweler's Research Center.

Things may have changed at this point.  It has been years since I heard anything about the Faberge Museum idea.  

On the topic of Romanov jewelery, I know of a suite of Diamonds and Aquamarines made for ELizaveta Feodorovna made by Faberge is in the US, and one of the Imperial tiaras from the nineteenth century is in that hands of an English Duchess.

Best,

Nick

[3710]

Nick, how very interesting - I heard Piotrovskii  speaking about Faberge Museum recently at  a press conference regarding Forbs (Vakselberg now!)collection. I will keep an eye on that.
It is such a long standing problem in St.P - too may art treasures, not enough exibition space
From another point  - how to persuade other Museums to ''part'' with their bits of Faberge? Temporary loans, perhaps? Shame Valselberg has his own plans regarding the location of his F. Would have been an exciting battle between St.P and Moscow.
Lots of Russian jewelry was at ''Tiaras'' exibiton in V&A several years ago. ''Russian splendour'' display was very popular. There were several memorable things there.
I would have thought that pieces like that are seldom sold nowadays (unless owners are dying of starvation).Why would anyone wish to part with such a beauty?
Galina

[Janet_Ashton]

a great idea of creating  the Faberge Museum in the company's former building on Morskaya street.  

Just as an aside on this building, I must say that seeing it on my first visit to Russia (1993) created one of the most powerful impressions of my trip. The fact that its usage had changed (I forget what to? though I did know...), and yet there it stood with the old "Faberge" plaques still carved into its entrance just gave the oddest sensation....Petersburg then did still feel like a soviet city I suppose, and this was a visual reminder of a history I had believed people wanted to forget - perhaps much more so than the palaces, which were celebrated for themselves.

Janet

[Robert_Hall]

Interesting that it even survived the destruction of WWII.
I have wondered what had become of the shop itself.

[Nick_Nicholson]

Galina: It is interesting.  I heard from Vekselberg's foundation's American drector that the Eggs will go on display in Moscow in May and June, St. Petersburg for July and August, and then Yekaterinburg September and October.  After that, they're not sure.

Janet and Robert; the Faberge signs were hidden behind plaques until 1992, when they were uncovered.  The building survived the war fairly intact--and there has been a jewelry store in the old space for many years.  The things sold there are now actually quite beautiful.

[Robert_Hall]

Out of curiosity, is it one of the Faberge "incarnations" ?

[nerdycool]

Along with the site mentioned above, here's a site I like concerning tiaras... they also have pictures of the family and other things, too. The site is run by a man who looks almost exactly like Nicholas. He says he is a Romanov.... a descendent of one of Catherine the Great's illegitimate children (I don't know how many she had). Here's the site http://groups.msn.com/ImperialDynastyTheROMANOVARCHIVES/theglitterthatwas.msnw
The aquamarine and diamond suite of Grand Duchess Ella that was mentioned by Nick, is also pictured here.

[3710]

The was (and still is) an 'ordinary'  jewelry shop in Faberge building on Morskaia as long  as I can remmember myself. I used to buy my rings there just out of respect for the former glory of the place.
Lot's of miniature Easter eggs ''a la Faberge'' on sale there is the only reference to the past of the building at the moment.

Nick the latest from Russian press: Vekselberg is planning to set his own exibition center for the collection. Probably nothing is confirmed yet and there are lots of plans in the air.   You have seen the collection - it is worth a trip to St.P in summer?

Janet, just the opposite - Russian people always WANTED to know what was hidden from them and there are great historians in St.P, so it did not matter how hard authorities might have tried, people remembered. Particularly the city history. We are very serious about it!
Galina

[BobAtchison]

Galina:

My first trip to Leningrad was in 1976 and I met a man who took us around the city.  I had an old map with all the old street names.  He said he didn't need it, that he knew all the old names - so he did....

In the late 70's people in Leningrad didn't talk to foreigners easily... Romanov was the city boss - dark days.  Once a man who spoke to us was grabbed by plain clothes police and beaten right in front of us on the street.  It certainly was intimidating.

I remember how excited I was to find the old Faberge shop - going inside I was surprized how busy it was for there being so little to buy.  I bought a red-gold ring - which I still have.

Bob

[BobAtchison]

Victoria of Milford Haven and her daughter were visiting Alexandra in the summer of 1914.  They brought their jewel box with them, which they left behind in Alexandra's keeping.  There were at least two tiaras in the box.  Alexandra turned this box over to the Provisional Government after the revolution - perhaps with the hope that it would be returned to her sister.  I wonder if anyone will ever find out what was in the box and its fate...

Bob

[Robert_Hall]

The personal jewelry that family actually wore, rings, necklaces, bracelets and such which was taken [confiscated, stolen...]  from them, is any of this on display anywhere?  Particularly the engagement & wedding rings.