A tale of two Matildas: how the Gray Stream family assembled one of America’s finest collections of Fabergé, jewels and more

It’s hard to remember a time when Fabergé was not one of the most desirable names in luxury and decorative objects. While the company, celebrated for its intricate eggs and flower studies, had been closely linked to the Russian Imperial Court since the 19th century, it would not carry the same cultural prestige on American soil until the middle of the 20th century, largely thanks to legendary dealer Armand Hammer. After the fall of the Russian monarchy in 1917, Hammer, an American manufacturing tycoon, temporarily moved to Russia and was able to obtain precious Fabergé objects through his close ties with the young Soviet government, serving as a trade envoy for American business interests.

Upon establishing his eponymous gallery in New York, Hammer attracted visionary American collectors, such as Matilda Geddings Gray, who began acquiring Fabergé treasures from him during the 1930s. Over nearly four decades, Gray, a Louisiana businesswoman and philanthropist, amassed one of the finest collections of Fabergé in America — testament to this is the long-term loan of dozens of pieces from her collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which is currently on view.

Having been such an early patron of Fabergé and Russian works of art, much of Gray’s collection, which continued to be stewarded and expertly built upon by her niece, Matilda Gray Stream, has been unseen for nearly a century. This summer Christie’s will present A Treasured History: The Stream Family Collection in a live auction on 10 June and online sale from 2-17 June. In addition to rare Imperial Russian masterpieces, the auctions will also feature more than 150 remarkable jewels, as well as European furniture, silver, porcelain, glass, antiquities and paintings by Diego Rivera, Edgar Degas and William Bouguereau amongst other works.

The collection is ‘a true tale of two Matildas whose shared commitment to beauty, craftsmanship, and cultural preservation shaped one of the most significant American collections of its kind,’ says Capera Ryan, Deputy Chairman, Christie’s Americas. ‘The Fabergé they amassed ranks among the finest in the world, built slowly and deliberately, each object chosen with exceptional care. The jewellery is a remarkable time capsule, composed of pieces acquired not for fashion, but for their enduring quality and artistry.’

Below, discover more about the two discerning Louisiana women, united in their sharp minds, exceptional taste, astounding generosity, and above all, an abiding love of their home state.

An extraordinary Louisiana family legacy

The family’s story begins in the mid-19th century, with John Geddings ‘Ged’ Gray, who built a number of successful agriculture, timber and oil businesses on 30,000 acres between the Calcasieu river and the Sabine river in Louisiana, establishing a homestead called the ‘Gray Ranch’. Ged had three children: Bill, Henry and Matilda, but when he died in 1921, unusually, it was Matilda, aged 36, who took over from her father. Under her command, the businesses flourished and the site became one of the most productive oil fields in the world.

Matilda Geddings Gray was a strong, independent woman with a head for business, coupled with a love and appreciation of the arts. Having attended Newcomb College in New Orleans, an innovative art school that encouraged women to become leaders in style in the South, she had plenty of experience following her instincts and asserting her will. She also lived abroad in her youth, studying alongside the Mexican artist Diego Rivera in Paris, part of a tight circle of young European and American artists and writers experimenting with different styles in Montparnasse. Throughout her life, her other interests ranged from making sculpture and French book binding to collecting Guatemalan Indian fabrics and preserving historic homes.

Although Matilda had no children herself, her brother Bill married and had a daughter, Matilda Gray Stream, in 1924, whom he named for his sister. The elder Matilda took the younger Matilda under her wing, encouraging her to travel widely to appreciate the world’s treasures. In 1942, the two women visited Latin America, and Gray commissioned her old friend Diego Rivera to paint her niece. Initially the young Matilda wore a flowing pink ball gown, but Diego was unhappy with his first attempt, saying it did not accurately represent the girl he had come to know. He asked to paint her again, and in Diana Cazadora, also known as The Archer, he depicted her as Diana, goddess of the hunt, standing straight and strong, holding a bow and arrow. Frida Kahlo, whom Rivera had married for the second time in 1940, also gave the young Matilda a painting to take home with her. These experiences fired a lifelong love of Latin American art in the 18-year-old.

Another collecting journey had begun, and the second Matilda was to bring her own superb eye to the family collection. She also continued her aunt’s legacy of historic preservation work, while also supporting many arts institutions, including the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Louisiana Museum Foundation, the Fabergé Arts Foundation and the New York City Ballet.

Fabergé and Russian works of art

When Matilda Geddings Gray died in 1971, she had already set up a foundation in her own name to ensure the broadest possible public audience could continue to enjoy her collection, and her Fabergé was toured around the country until 1980. At this point, it was given a more permanent home at the New Orleans Museum of Art for 20 years, before being put on long-term loan at the Met. Millions of Americans have been introduced to the enchantment of Fabergé thanks to Matilda’s benevolence.

In addition to the Imperial Eggs, the iconic Met loans include the 1896 Imperial Lilies-of-the-Valley Basket, considered the most important flower study by Fabergé. Offered at Christie’s are a selection of five hardstone and enamel flower studies by Fabergé, including a cactus, begonia, pansy, cornflower and raspberries, all created circa 1900-1915.

Another rare Fabergé highlight is a silver automaton in the form of a rhinoceros (circa 1910), whose horn is adorned with a cabochon sapphire. One of only three rhinoceros automatons by Fabergé, the present lot is joined by its original box and winding key. When wound, the animal slowly moves on ratchet wheels and lifts its head up and down. The articulated tail also sways from side to side.

Another highlight is a highly important and impressive Russian three-colour gold cup, cover and stand by David Rudolph, which was presented to military general Count Saltykov in 1790. It later entered the collection of Emperor Nicholas II, the last emperor of Russia, before being sold at Christie’s seminal 1927 auction of the Russian State Jewels. In addition to Imperial ties, many lots feature other notable provenances:, for example, a Fabergé snuff box from the collection of Thomas Cardeza, an affluent American banker who survived the Titanic.

Historical and contemporary jewels

‘Amongst the great American female collectors of the early to mid-20th century, it doesn’t get any greater than Matilda Geddings Gray,’ says Claibourne Poindexter, Christie’s Head of Jewelry, Americas, noting that above all, what stands out is how both Matildas collected jewels that they genuinely loved, whether or not they were considered fashionable. Antique jewellery, for example, was of particular interest, which Poindexter says, ‘shows a sense of self-confidence and self-awareness.’

One of the most jaw-dropping jewels is a circa 1930 emerald and diamond bracelet by Tiffany & Co. ‘Tiffany & Co. didn’t produce a lot of Art Deco jewellery, but when they did, their great pieces rival those from any other house,’ says Poindexter of the ‘candy-like’ emeralds, whose total weight is approximately 50.00-55.00 carats. Another standout is an important diamond ring, featuring an old European-cut diamond of 49.91 carats — Poindexter notes how rare it is to find antique cuts still intact, as many have been broken down and refashioned into modern brilliant cuts.

The collection also includes extraordinary creations by Cartier. Reflective of a rarefied time when Cartier was deeply invested in cultivating special partnerships with discerning clients like Gray, there are several jewels signed ‘Monture’, meaning the client provided the stones, and Cartier created the designs or settings.

Demonstrating the breadth of the jewellery, there are also several Indian pieces, including a few necklaces mounted by Cartier, as well as a wide array of novelty brooches by Cartier, Lacloche Frères and Mauboussin, amongst others, which, Poindexter says, ‘define mid-century glamour.’

Latin American art and more masterpieces

The Matildas’ fine art holdings encompass Old Master paintings, as well as 19th-century European, American, Latin American, Impressionist and Modern art. Two of the most important works include portraits of young girls by Bouguereau — a French fixture in America’s most sophisticated collections — and Rivera.

After an extended 14-year stay in Europe, Rivera returned to his native homeland in 1921 and became integrated into the artistic milieu of post-revolutionary Mexico. The artist increasingly devoted his artistic vision to celebrating the cultural richness of Mexico and its people, elevating the dignity of their values, customs and ways of life, deeply rooted in ancestral traditions and popular culture, while also capturing the diversity of their labour, ethnic identities and landscapes. He gave particular attention to Mexican children, whom he regarded as the seeds of change, destined to come to fruition in generations to come.

While Rivera produced portraits of his own family, his preferred subjects were Indigenous children. During the late 1930s, he met Modesta Mercado, the niece of one of his favorite models, Delfina Flores. Mercado would become another favoured young sitter whom Rivera immortalised in several paintings that entered renowned collections.

Gray acquired one of these portraits, Niña con gallito (La niña Modesta Mercado a los 4 años de edad) (1939), depicting Modesta at the age of four. In Rivera’s eyes, she is not merely a child, but a young individual with a budding personality. She poses obediently in her exquisite Sunday dress, though beneath the ruffles of her skirt, her tiny feet emerge, one of them restless. In her hands she holds a brightly coloured Mexican ceramic toy, but it is her gaze, tender and lively, upon which the painter has focused his greatest attention. Rivera captures the vibrant spirit of a child whose dark, searching gaze holds the promise of a brighter future, in a country undergoing profound change on the eve of the Second World War.

Whether drawn to them for their sheer beauty or the stories they tell, the art and objects that Matilda Geddings Gray and Matilda Gray Stream acquired comprise a collection as singular as it is museum worthy.