Lot 26: A Fabergé gold, diamond and sapphire pencil holder, workmaster: Erik Kollin, St. Petersburg, circa 1890

the ribbed body surmounted by a snake, the head set with a cabochon sapphire and diamonds, the tail enclosing a suspension loop, with workmaster's initials, 56 standard , in a Fabergé fitted case enclosing a handwritten note: For Dear Olga from Misha

length: 6.5cm, 2 1/2 in.

Munich, Kunsthalle der Hypo-Kulturstiftung, Fabergé-Cartier Rivalen am Zarenhof, 28 November 2003 - 12 April 2004, cat. no. 1

Géza von Habsburg, Fabergé-Cartier Rivalen am Zarenhof, Munich, 2003, p. 148

Erik Kollin was Fabergé's first head workmaster. He was responsible for the series of Sythian-style jewellery that Fabergé exhibited to such acclaim at the Pan-Russian Industrial Exhibition held in Moscow in 1882. It is almost certain that he made the first Imperial Easter egg, presented by Emperor Alexander III to his consort, Empress Maria Fedorovna, in 1885. Kollin's work is distinguished by an elegant restraint of design. He preferred to work in single-colour gold, often with a semi-matt finish. Gold mounts were often worked with reeded decoration and sometimes, as in the present example, this was combined with the motif of a gem-set serpent.