FABERGE FLOWERS - Scarce Pristine Copy of The First Hardcover Edition/First Printing

Faberge, Carl (Artist) & Swezey, Marilyn Pfeifer (Author)

ISBN 10: 0810949539 / ISBN 13: 9780810949539

Published by New York City, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 2004, 2004

About this Item

1st Printing. 128 pages. Published in 2004. Retrospective monograph on subject. The single best book on the art of the Faberge Flower. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with the Softcover Edition. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. The First Edition is now scarce. Presents "Faberge Flowers". Some of Carl Faberge's greatest creations. "At one time, the royal families of Europe and Russia were accustomed to having their every whim satisfied, even apparently impossible desires like freezing and preserving Nature in its most perfect form. This collection of photographs and essays documents Carl Faberge's attempts to do just that for the Russian Imperial Family and other aristocrats throughout Europe. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, Faberge created delicate replicas of pansies, lilies of the valley, violets, and other flowers that were most often destined for glass display cabinets in the royal palaces of London and Moscow. The lush color photographs allow readers to get closer to the pieces than they could ever hope to otherwise, so close that one can see the real fuzz used to augment an intricately crafted dandelion puff and get a sense of how the jars were fashioned in order to look like they were filled with water" (Publishers Weekly). Faberge is identified with his opulent Russian Easter Eggs, which fetch millions of dollars today. The story of his exquisite, Oriental-flavored flower creations is much less-known even though "The Wild Rose Collection" of Queen Elizabeth II and "The Red Currants" at The Hermitage are world treasures. Combining brilliant yet simply composed photographs of these objects of fantasy with texts that illuminate the world of Faberge, the cultural historian Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey finally restores these aesthetic splendors to their rightful place. The flower jewels come gloriously to life but the water Faberge re-created to complete the illusion of Nature is probably even more beguiling to behold. A book that belongs on every shelf of great photography and art book collection. This title is now collectible. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online are remainder-marked while others command as much as $400. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A scarce copy thus. 78 color plates. One of the most beautiful books on art. A fine copy. ISBN 0810949539. Seller Inventory # 15741

Bibliographic Details

Title: FABERGE FLOWERS - Scarce Pristine Copy of ...

Publisher: New York City, NY: Harry N. Abrams, 2004

Publication Date: 2004

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: As New

Dust Jacket Condition: As New

Signed: no

Edition: 1st Edition.

About this title

Synopsis:

Faberge Flowers tells the story of Faberge's botanical pieces for the first time. This beautiful book, written by a group of scholars in the field of Russian decorative arts and cultural history, illuminates the lost world of Faberge's collectors, and presents a selection of superb examples of these objects of fantasy. Richly illustrated with photographs of Faberge work now in museums and private collections, including that of Queen Elizabeth II of England, the book will enthrall lovers of the decorative arts and will fascinate anyone interested in European cultural history.

About the Author:

Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey is an independent scholar of Russian decorative arts and cultural history. Alexander von Solodkoff is a historian of Russian decorative arts. Joyce Lasky Reed is the president of the Fabergé Arts Foundation of Washington, D.C., and St. Petersburg, Russia.