Product Overview
This is an antique book knife produced by Workmaster Henrik Wigstrom in the St. Petersburg workshop of Peter Carl Faberge. The book knife measures 12" long and is in excellent condition. Made in St. Petersburg, Russia circa 1903-1908. The handle of the book knife is the head of a bird in silver mounted on a column of pale orange guilloche enamel with decorative gold gilt foliage at each end. There are six garnet cabochons; two for the bird's eyes and four set on the blade. The blade is a pale green nephrite jade. Maker's marks include the name "K. Faberge" in Cyrillic, silver quality mark "84", the initials "H.W." for Workmaster Henrik Wigstrom, and the Imperial emblem of the double-headed eagle indicating the company was a Court Supplier. Henrik Wigstrom was the Head Workmaster to Peter Carl Faberge from 1903 until the company closed its doors in 1918. Wigstrom oversaw the expansion of the production of the Imperial Easter Eggs from 1903 through to the final one produced in 1916. Nearly all of the hardstone animals, figurines, and flowers were made under his supervision.
