Important Silversmiths – Henrik Wigstrom
20th Century Imperial Russian Faberge jewelled two-color gold and enamel cigarette case, with alternating horizontal engine-turned panels and white opaque enamel stripes, the cigarette case's hinged cover with a diamond-set thumb-piece.
Hallmarked Russian gold 56 (583 standard), St-Petersburg, year 1908-1917, Maker's mark H.W for Henrik Wigstrom, 'Faberge' retail mark.
REFERENCE NUMBER: A4367
Henrik Wigstrom (in Russian: Хенрик Вигстром) is one of the most relevant workmasters of the House of Fabergé, along with his predecessor Michael Perkhin.
Wigstrom was born in Finland and started his career working as an apprentice to the local jeweller and goldsmith Peter Madsen. Thanks to Madsen’s business contacts in Russia, Wigstrom managed to move to St. Petersburg where he started working for the House of Fabergé in 1886 as an assistant to Michael Perkhin, head workmaster until 1903. After his master’s death Wigstrom was appointed his successor.
He was responsible for some of the firm’s finest treasures in Louis XVI and neoclassical style. Wigstrom was very prolific: half of the Imperial Fabergé eggs, the majority of miniature animals and flowers, boxes and cigarette cases produced by the firm between 1904 and 1917 carry his mark.
In 1918 the outbreak of the Russian Revolution forced the closure of the House of Fabergé and Henrik Wigstrom fled back to Finland where he died in 1923.
20th Century Imperial Russian gold mounted, silver, guilloche enamel belt buckle, of cartouche form, the surface enamelled in translucent light blue over banded wavy engine-turning within gold pellet-and-mullet borders.
Hallmarked Russian gold 56 (585), silver 91 (937), St-Petersburg, Assay master AP, Faberge in Cyrillic, 56 and 91 standards, scratched inventory number 15256, Maker's mark W.H. for Henrik Wigstrom.
Reference Number: A5465
20th Century Imperial Russian silver-gilt guilloche enamel bell-push, of circular cushion form, the surface enamelled in translucent white over concentric reeded engine-turning and an engraved floral boarder, the button set with a polished amethyst cabochon. Hallmarked Russian 88 silver, Maker's mark for Renowned Faberge work-master, Henrik Wigstrom.
Reference Number: A5102