Pop Filter Hot Pick: Fabergé at the Frick

What kind of luxury items populated the palaces of the rich and famous before the days of the Lexus sedan, Chanel bag, Louboutin shoe, and Tiffany lamp? Fabergé: the name is synonymous with luxury objects of the highest order and almost fairytale-like existence.

Travel back more than a century to the grand opulence and innovative artistry of Belle Époque Europe and Russia, with the Frick Art & Historical Center's new exhibition, Fabergé: The Hodges Family Collection. During the last years of the Tsar's rule—a time dubbed the Gilded Age in America—Russia saw the rise and fall of both the House of Fabergé and its imperial patrons. It was during this time that the history's most famous family jewelry business created a wide array of luxury objects and household accessories for not only the imperial family, but for wealthy clients across Russia and Europe--and now you, too, can bask in all of its beauty.

One of the most important private collections of Fabergé in the US, The Hodges Family Collection was assembled by American collector Daniel L. Hodges over the past 20 years. Objects range from a cabochon amethyst brooch purchased by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna at Fabergé’s St. Petersburg store in 1903, to a Persian turquoise sculpture surrounded by a sterling silver snake.

The illustrious House of Fabergé may have been located halfway around the world from Clayton--Henry Clay Frick's manse in Pittsburgh—but its founder, Peter Carl Fabergé (1846–1920), is almost an exact contemporary of the local industrialist, and his opulent objects wielded power and prestige in America as well as Europe, communicating an underlying cultural interest of the day in fine design, beautiful materials and luxury objects—all collected by patrons to show off good taste and revolutionary design.

Now, all of the allure, elegance and craftsmanship of these Russian-produced items are being showcased in what is the first major exhibition of Fabergé objects ever to be shown in Pittsburgh. Opening Oct. 23, Fabergé features more than 100 objects made by the world-renowned goldsmith and jeweler to the Russian court, and reveals the almost magical techniques of stone carving, silver casting, gem setting, and enameling that went into creating courtly designs of the Rococo and Neoclassical periods.

“Fabergé’s impeccable craftsmanship, innovative use of materials, and superlative quality are tangible reminders of a lost world that charm and delight us today, as they did Fabergé’s privileged clientele of a century past," says Sarah Hall, director of curatorial affairs. "And it’s not just the objects that will delight visitors. The stories behind them and the history of Fabergé and Belle Epoque Europe are integral parts of the experience we have created with this exhibition."

Admittedly, she says, "the elite were eventually purchasing Fabergé as status symbols, but the idea was that the value of the object was not measured by gold, diamonds, or other gems, but rather the value was increased by the infusion of imagination into the object—the value of the craftsman’s imagination was incalculable.”

On view through January 15, 2012—with special programming for the holidays—the unique site-wide presentation will be augmented by a display of complementary pieces from the Frick's own permanent collection of 18th- and 19th-century Russian decorative arts, Featured objects include an enameled Russian tea set made by A.I. Kuzmichev—purchased by Henry Clay Frick through Tiffany & Co. in 1894—and Russian silver purchased by Helen Clay Frick.

Ready to be a Russian royal for a day? The production, patronage and functions of the exquisite goods will be brought to life for visitors via the Frick's multi-faceted approach to the subject, which includes ancillary installations, educational programs and extended hours of operation.

Within the distinctive quarters of the Frick family home Clayton, visitors will explore All That Glitters: Luxury in the Gilded Age, a tour and installation focusing on decorative luxury objects manufactured by the likes of Tiffany, Gorham and Bailey, Banks and Biddle. Over at the Car and Carriage Museum, a special presentation of Rolls-Royce automobiles will provide a glimpse into the practice of traveling in high style, including  a 1929 Phantom II and a 1923 Silver Ghost Salamanca Town Car.

Looking for the perfect high-style holiday gift? The Center's new Fabergé Exhibition Shop takes its cue from the ornate and shimmering world of Fabergé and Russian decorative and folk art, while diners at the award-winning Café at the Frick will be sated with Russian-inspired menu items.

Visitors will have the rare opportunity to marvel at a diverse selection array of luxury objects and household accessories crafted by Fabergé, including jeweled and enameled photograph frames, tableware, jewelry, clocks, desk accessories, boxes, and smoking accessories.

Learn about the family business—founded in 1842 by Gustav Fabergé--the contributions of brothers Carl and Agathon, and company's Fabergé‘s ingenious use of both precious and semi-precious materials. The show also highlights the talents of famed Fabergé workmaster Mikhail Evlampievich Perchin (1860–1903) and his assistant Henrik Wigström, who helped shaped the firm's successful production of objets de fantaisie—small, exquisitely designed, collectible, decorative items.

Among the exhibition's most significant objects is the Bismarck Box, an imperial piece made by for Tsar Alexander III, as a gift to Germany's Prince Otto von Bismarck. The Louis XVI-style snuffbox features a watercolor miniature of the Tsar on its lid, surrounded by brilliant-cut diamonds on a vivd red enamel ground. The first major imperial presentation piece made by Fabergé, the dazzling box embodies the firm's elegant and effortless use of historic motifs, which were directly influenced by works of art on view at the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg.

A delightful example of Fabergé’s custom work can be seen in The Stamp Viewer, a personalized object made for Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich, to commemorate his 15th year in the Ismailov Regiment. Objects owned by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna include a photograph frame holding one of her favorite pictures of her son, Tsar Nicholas II, as well as a fanciful glue pot in the shape of an apple owned by her daughter, the Grand Duchess Olga.

More than shimmering surfaces: Through the Center's three-month focus on Fabergé, visitors of all ages will enjoy a variety of engaging ways to experience and enjoy the significance, revolutionary design, craftsmanship, and social history behind these wondrous objects. Learn the grand stories behind these whimsical objects, such as intricate enamel and gold work technique, how artworks in St. Petersburg's legendary Hermitage museum influenced their production, the complex organization of Fabergé's multi-level workshops, and the firm's innovative development of a palette some 140 colors--from iridescent oyster white to raspberry. Discover how the House of Fabergé transformed from a high-end jeweler to an international art powerhouse. Equal parts wondrous to behold and expertly utlilitarian, these objects embody the innovation and artistry of a leading 19th-century manufacturing site, the tastes and values of wealthy patrons and the social history of the time.

The engaging exhibition also explores Fabergé's inextricable link to the tragic fate of the Romanov dynasty. In 1918, following the establishment of the Bolshevik Soviet Republic, Fabergé and most of his family escaped to Switzerland. Many of Fabergé’s wealthy Russian patrons also fled, taking what treasures they could with them. The jeweler’s objects have since been coveted, and as many have made their way into auction houses and marketplaces, the interest in Fabergé has continued to grow, as collectors seek out these compelling creations.

Go beyond the gallery during one of the many public programs offered in conjunction with the Fabergé exhibition, including lectures, music performances, tours, workshops, and even a bus tour of the amazing architecture, art and culture of Pittsburgh's Russian and Ukrainian communities and landmarks. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the Fabergé phenomenon with the museum's new exhibition blog.

Want these precious pieces on your coffee table? Pick up the 310-page exhibition catalogue, which delves into the the fascinating stories behind the objects and contributions from noted Fabergé authority and author Géza von Habsburg, Fabergé bibliographer and author Christel Ludewig McCanless, and Fabergé expert Kieran McCarthy.

Don't miss the public opening on Sun., Oct. 23rd with daylong programming for all ages. Cost: suggested admission of $7.50 (free for members). Not a member yet? Sign up at one of The Frick's new interactive member kiosks!

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