The Fabergé Workmasters

By now, it is obvious to the reader that the House of Fabergé was both creative and prolific, a phenomenon that would not have been possible without the input of a multitude of craftsmen. It is estimated that Fabergé was staffed with 500 artisans. Curiously, about 75% of those in his employ were of Finnish or Finnish/Swede descent. However, the most famous work master was Russian Michael Perchin who was responsible for all the Imperial Easter eggs produced between 1885 and 1903 – the year he died. Henrik Wigstrom, a Finn, took over from Perchin and was head workmaster for the Imperial Easter eggs until 1917. August Holmstrom, another Finn, was a senior member of Fabergé’s firm and head jeweler. He was also the maker of the 1892 Diamond Trellis Egg. His son Albert took over after his father’s death and continued to work in St. Petersburg until the Revolution. The list of Finns continues with Anders Nevalainen, a master who worked on small articles such as enameled frames and cigarette cases. Hjalmar Armfeldt worked under Nevalainen and concentrated on enameled objects. Francois Birbaum was Swiss by birth and was the chief designer of some of the finest objects produced by Fabergé. Karl Woerffel, a German, was responsible for the execution of the vast majority of hard stone animals. Michel Tchepournoff, a Russian, was the manager of the silver department and respected craftsman as well. And so the list continues – work masters who took raw materials and turned them into objects of fantasy.

Among all those great work masters was a sole woman – Alma Theresia Pihl. Pihl was the granddaughter of August Holmstrom and daughter of Oscar Pihl who was the head jeweler of the Moscow branch. When her uncle August Holmstrom took over her grandfather’s workshop she was invited to come on as an artist who would keep detailed watercolor drawings of all the items being produced in the shop. She was a mere twenty years old when she joined him in 1909. It did not take long for her talent to be recognized and she was promoted to assistant designer and entrusted with the commission from Dr. Emanuel Nobel for a number of small brooches that would remind the recipient of a Russian winter. Alma was inspired while looking out the window at icicles suspended from the windowpane. She immediately began drawing designs for what would become Fabergé’s line of “frost flowers” - jewelry made of quartz and diamonds. This winter theme would lead to an even grander design – that of the Winter Egg that was presented to the Dowager Empress in 1913, but even this as not the end of Pihl creative genius. The following year she was put in charge of the design for the Tsarina Easter egg. For this she chose a mosaic design that emulated the petit point design which she watched her mother executing one winter’s eve.

It is not surprising that Fabergé’s staff was dedicated to the man and his vision. By all accounts, Fabergé was very good to those who worked for him. The director of the Moscow branch sent the following letter to a young Englishman wishing to be considered for a position with the House of Fabergé:

17 /30 December 1901

Your letter of the 21^st inst & two parcels of designs and sketches have arrived. To judge by both the letter and the sketches, I think that you would suit us. At first you will find a certain difficulty in working to order, that is, making designs to meet the many requirements of customers. I also notice that you show me no jewelry work where diamonds and other stones are used. This will have to be learned. However, as you are young, you will, after six months of work (if you go at it seriously) find yourself a full-fledged jeweler’s artist – and that is what I want.

Now to business. I offer you 160 rubles a month salary – which makes exactly 17 – the hours of work are: winter, from 9 til 7, with one interval of an hour for lunch. Summer, from 10 til 6, with one hour for lunch. These are the hours of my establishment & no exception can be made.

You work in a large, light & warm room above the shop, where all my designers are. You are under nobody but myself – so there is no possibility of being bullied by any overseer & c.

You would work only for the jewelry department – silver having its own men.

Living: I have made inquiries & find that you can be boarded & lodged in a decent & comfortable way, in an English family, for 60 rubles (6-8 pounds) a month, which would leave you 110 rubles a month to spend. We have a colony of about 300-350 Englishmen and women in Moscow, & among them you are sure to make some friends. I have four Englishmen (more or less) in the shop.

Fabergé was not only a creative genius and entrepreneur, he was also a magician of sorts, for as H.C. Bainbridge recalled in his book “Faberge knew how to handle men… he knew how to generate atmosphere… not only had it quality but quantity for it permeated the whole establishment every nook and corner of the workshops, of the offices and studios and shop…He was always doing something which so captivated the hearts of those working for him that they reacted at once and gave tit for tat, with the result that not only were thousands of beautiful things scattered all the world over, but, and this is to be well remarked, every one of these things possessed the same characteristics, although each of them was largely the product of a separate pair of hands.”