TABLE BOX
18-karat gold
H. ¾ inch • W. 3⅜ inches • D. 2⅜ inches
 
WORKMASTER: Henrik Immanuel Wigström

DATE: 1908–17

PLACE: St. Petersburg
 
MARKS OR SIGNATURES: On the interior of the lid: 72, in rectangular punch; H.W. in oval punch. On the interior base: FABERGÉ, in Cyrillic; kokoshnik head facing right with Greek letter alpha, 72, all in an oval punch; H.W. in an oval punch.
 
Henrik Wigström (Finnish, 1862–1923), Fabergé’s head workmaster from 1903 until the forced closing of the firm in 1918, was a major maker of gold boxes and cigarette cases.
 
An admirer of the Louis XI neoclassical style, Wigström also liked engine-turned surfaces, which could be employed very effectively in making neoclassically inspired objects. The superb even and crisp engine turning on this box reflects the advanced skills of the Fabergé artisans working with such motifs. The foliate-scrolled thumbpiece is a simple but completely effective counterpoint to the engine-tuned finish.
 
The long rear hinge of this box is so precisely crafted that it virtually disappears into the bright-finished edges of the box.
 
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