A JEWELLED FOUR-COLOR GOLD GUILLOCHÉ ENAMEL MINIATURE FRAME

HAHN WORKMASTER'S MARK OF CARL BLANK, ST. PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1895

Details

A JEWELLED FOUR-COLOR GOLD GUILLOCHÉ ENAMEL MINIATURE FRAME
Hahn workmaster's mark of Carl Blank, St. Petersburg, circa 1895
The pear-shaped translucent green enamel stand over guilloché ground applied with three-color gold chased blossoms and leaves surmounted by gold ribbons, on a tapering circular green and gold base with a rose-cut diamond ribbon-tied red guilloché enamel band, surmounted by a gold cupid holding on his shoulder a circular red guilloché enamel circular frame set with rose-cut diamonds and surmounted by a gold ribbon bow and swags emanating from a pearl, mother-of-pearl back, marked under the base
4½in. (11.5cm.) high

Provenance

A La Vieille Russie, New York, 11 December 1978

Literature

Forbes, C. & Tromeur-Brenner, R. Fabergé, The Forbes Collection, New York, 1999, p. 260, ill. p. 261

Exhibited

Wilmington, Riverfront Arts Center, Fabergé, 2000, no. 912, ill. p. 337

Lot Essay

Recent research done by Valentin Skurlov, has uncovered new information about the relationship of the firm of K. Gan [Hahn], as well as that of Fabergé, and the workmaster previously known only by his initials C.B. Carl Carlovich Blank was born in Finland, then a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire, in 1860. Registered as a gold and silversmith since 1885, he worked from 1892 until 1909 for the renowned firm of K. Hahn, being made partner in 1911. After the death of K. Hahn's son Dmitrii, he continued with the firm in the production of diamond commissions from the Imperial Cabinet for orders and decorations. He was awarded prizes for excellence at the 1896 exhibition at Nizhnyi Novgorod, and in 1917, by the Imperial Cabinet as a mark of appreciation. According to Evgenii Fabergé's comments on the firm of Fabergé written in 1937, Blank worked for Fabergé, but he gave no further details.

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