Faberge and the Russian Master Goldsmiths

The renowned Easter eggs made by Peter Carl Faberge for the czars of Russia lead off this cavalcade of treasures, captured in 277 color plates and two informative essays. Russia's master goldsmiths and jewelers created marvels in clocks, tableware, scent bottles, opera glasses. They fashioned religious icons and chalices drawing on age-old traditions, and innovated forms in carved hardstone flowers or stone figurines. Objects such as cigarette cases have a distinctively Russian feel, while a striking naturalism was achieved in animal carvings of a hippopotamus or a frog. In their opening essay, Smorodinova and Ulyanova, curators at Moscow's Historical Museum, offer a thorough survey of this art and discuss pioneers such as Faberge, Pavel Ovchinnokov and Ivan Khlebnikov. Hill, curator of Russian art for Sotheby's, New York, briefly reviews Faberge's life and artistic sources. (Nov.)