Faberge nephrite tray brings six times upper estimate

By Supplied, on 19-Sep-2017

At a packed, standing room only Philips Fine & Decorative Arts auction on 10 September in Melbourne  auction, the standout lot was a vibrant green circular Faberge tray with silver gilt and ruby guilloche enamel rococo handles set with cut diamonds; formerly from the John Traina collection.

At a packed, standing room only Philips Fine & Decorative Arts auction on 10 September in Melbourne auction, the standout lot was a vibrant green circular Faberge tray with silver gilt and ruby guilloche enamel rococo handles set with cut diamonds; formerly from the John Traina collection.

At a packed, standing room only Philips Fine & Decorative Arts auction on 10 September in Melbourne auction, the standout lot was a vibrant green circular Faberge tray with silver gilt and ruby guilloche enamel rococo handles set with cut diamonds; formerly from the John Traina collection.

The tray was pre 1896, made in St Petersburg with zolotniki 88, Cyrillic stamp of Fabergé and master initials MP for Mikhael Perchin, Fabergé's leading workmaster. The tray is illustrated in Géza von Habsburg's 'Faberge in America' which was produced to accompany a travelling exhibition of the works organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

With an estimate in the range of $10,000 – $20,000, two interstate phone bidders started the bids, but withdrew at around the $40,000 mark, after which bidding soon escalated to $70,000 and became a fiery contest between two in-room determined parties who battled it out in $1,000 increments. After pausing for breath at a remarkable $120,000, the chase continued with the triumphant bid coming in at a stunning $125,000 (hammer), ($150,000 including buyers premium).

The winning bidder had lived in the USA and had seen the tray in the travelling exhibition of Faberge in America in 1996.