100 - ALEXANDER WÄKEVÄ FOR FABERGÉ, A SILVER DISH

ALEXANDER WÄKEVÄ FOR FABERGÉ, A SILVER DISH ST. PETERSBURG, CIRCA 1908-1917 An Imperial Russian neoclassical silver dish of shallow circular form, the exterior rim applied with a continuous chased band of Greek key (meander) ornament, framed by fine parallel wirework borders. Workmaster's mark 'AW' for Alexander Wäkevä Marked for Fabergé Stamped for 88 zolotnik silver standard Size/dimensions: 8.00cm diameter Gross weight: 75.78g The dish is free of warps or dents. The exterior exhibits a desirable natural aged patina, with some soft surface scratches as expected. The hallmarks remain sharp and highly legible, and the piece is offered in very good condition. Fabergé’s St Petersburg production was not made in a single factory but by a group of semi-independent workshops, each headed by a master craftsman, or workmaster, who worked exclusively for the firm and struck his own initials alongside the Fabergé mark. Silver for the St Petersburg house was supplied by a small number of these specialists. Among the most important was the Finnish-born silversmith Stefan Wäkevä, whose workshop made much of the firm’s table silver and presentation silver. After his death in 1910, his son Alexander continued the workshop under his own mark, “A.W.”