Important Silversmiths – Michael Perkhin
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
Michael Perkhin (in Russian: Михаил Перкин) was, along with his successor Henrik Wingstrom (1862 - 1923), the most creative and talented head workmaster of the House of Fabergé.
Perkhin began his career working as a journeyman for Erik Kollin, at that time Fabergé’s head workmaster. In 1884 he was already master craftsman and two years later he succeeded Kollin as head workmaster. Under his direction the most popular Fabergé themes were introduced: eggs, animals, flowers, objects of vertu in hard stones and precious metals.
About half of the Imperial Easter Eggs bear his initials.
Under his supervision, the firm produced its most innovative objects of vertu, making a distinctive use of gold, enamel and hard stones to create elegant and innovative masterpieces, in a wide range of styles from Rococo to Renaissance revival.
Nowadays his artworks are in the most important international museums and more than a hundred items bearing his initial are today part of the Royal Collection.