Finding Fabergé

2 Nov 2021-5 Jun 2022

Overview

This small display highlights five exquisite forgotten Fabergé items from the Royal Pavilion & Museums Trusts collection.

The items include an important gold-mounted photograph frame in translucent purple enamel; important enough to imply some sort of royal, if not imperial provenance. Another smaller, but equally beautiful frame in rose pompadour enamel and two enameled gum pots, one with a moonstone finial and the other topped with a garnet and objet de luxe, in the form of a striking blue, stamp damper.

Formerly owned by Lady (Ellen) Thomas-Stanford of Preston Manor, the five objects were carefully wrapped and catalogued by an unknown curator working with the collections and placed in the stores at Brighton Museum for safekeeping for over 90 years. The objects were spotted in 2019 by Geoffrey Munn, fine jewellery expert on the BBC1’s Antiques Roadshow whilst visiting the RPMT Fashion curator, Martin Pel.

The display also comes with a mystery ‘What links British and Russian Royalty, an Edwardian spy, and an English Manor house with some very rare Fabergé works of art?’