Faberge? Old or new?

[zilverik]

Hi,

I bought yhis long ago on a market. The foot is of massive malachite. I always hoped it to be Faberge, but is this old Faberge? Or a remake?

http://i52.tinypic.com/ztfxjl.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2mfiu8i.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/15r1a3n.jpg


Regards,

Zilverik

[Juke]

Hi!

Sorry, not Fabergé, marks are not authentic. I question even the malachite, could be some other material. Typically malachite was used with gilded materials and not silver.

Regards,
Juke

[zilverik]

Hi Juke,

Thank you for your comment. Is this a pseudomark in your opinion? How can you be sure? Do you have an example of this pseudomark on other objects?
Maybe it is not old Faberge, but in my opinion it is silver for sure (88, higher than standard 84). The malachite is genuine, not fake.

Regards,

Zilverik

[Zolotnik]

Hi zilverik -

I would suggest to use the search funktion on this Russian Forum. There you have endless examples of what Fabergé is not and why!

1) The quality: Fabergé is known for his exorbitant details and workmanship in combination with different materials
2) The marks: completely wrong, very badly done and on the wrong place
3) Similar authentic objects are unknown - only fakes, always plump and ugly
4) Silvercontent: even if it is 88 zolotniki, what I doubt, this is no proof for anything - only that the content is 88 zolotniki
5) Whenever you see Russian silver in combination with malachit - go away!!

Regards
Zolotnik

[zilverik]

Hi Zolotnik and Juke,

Thank you very much. This is convincing. Juke mailed his opinion already with the same idea, but I was not ready to accept. Now I do. One dream less.

Regards,

Zilverik

[Qrt.S]

I share both Zolotnik's and Juke's opinion. The kokshnik is very badly made and it looks like the faker has no idea of how a kokoshnik hallmark from the period should look like. The faker has probably copied the outlook from Postnikova's book not knowing that the pictures in the book are drawings/sketches but not photos or soot prints of authentic kokoshniks.

[Zolotnik]

Hi zilverik -

A little rule I can recommend - not only for buying (Russian) silver:

To spend the same amount of time recherching before you buy is better than spending the same amount of time recherching after you have bought!

Regards and heads up - we all learn by doing!

Zolotnik

[zilverik]

Hi Zolotnik,

My wife agrees with you fully.

Regards,

Zilverik

[Dad]

Hi.

I see that on a figure and on the basis there are different marks. On a figure - false mark. It is necessary to give a good photo of mark on the basis. There can be variants...

Best Reg..

[zilverik]

Hi Dad,

Thank you for your sharp vision. There is a mark at the bottom that I did not see before. And I think I found him in my Russian makersmarksbooks. At least it looks like it, or could this be fake as well?
It could be master I.P. = Ulin Rappaport from st. Petersburg (1883-1916).
http://i56.tinypic.com/23jiduc.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/f4pv00.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2comvsx.jpg

On this forum I found the kokoshnik mark for St. Petersburg (in the period that Rappaport was working there) that is on the foot and on the figure. Those two marks are the same, only one of the marks misses a very clear "a" (for St Petersburg). That would mean that the forgerer knew about Rappaport and that he knew about the region letter "a". Than he knows a lot for a forgerer.

http://i56.tinypic.com/x1zqys.jpg

I accept that this statue most probably is a fake if all the Russian experts say so, however this master I.P. and the St. Petersburg kokoshnik do make me think again. Now I hope of course that you as an expert on Russian silver (and Zolotnik and Juke and Qrt.S) agree with me that there is maybe a possibility that this statue could be genuine. In that case I will have the silvercontent (and the malachite )tested. Or is that a waste of time?

Regards,

Zilverik

[Qrt.S]

Sorry but in my opinion it is a waste of time. This statue is not made by Julius Rappoport, no way. The quality is not good enough. In addition. I already told you that the kokoshnik hallmark on the body is a lousy fake not to talk about the other mark. What could be the case is that this object might be put together from two different (broken?) objects, but as mentioned earlier by Zolotnik...

[Zolotnik]

Hi zilverik -

In my opinion everything was said already! Objects of Fabergé you can not buy here and there, at fleamarkets or dubious auction sites or houses! This is all dreaming...
On this forum nearly every week is a discussion "Fabergé - authentic or fake" - please read this submissions. It is boring to repeat and repeat. Fabergé is a very complex thema and you need much knowledge and experience. Not many had the luck/opportunity to hold authentic objects in their hands and compare to other great Russian silversmiths - but many people think they are experts after they have read one or two books about Fabergè.
Here the facts again, believe it or not - you asked - here is the answer:

1) The quality is miserable poor (details of the figurine, see how it is fastened to the basis, etc, etc.)
2) All the marks are difuse, wrong and on the wrong places
3) The "artist" did not make figurines like that, objects of this kind are unknown worldwide

Just to show you an original mark of Fabergé:



Here some fake/phantasy marks of Fabergé




Here some fake/phantasy marks on Tscharki with famous names (fakers use only famous names!)




So be more careful in the future as you already know:

"A fool and his money are soon parted"

Regards
Zolotnik

[zilverik]

Hi Zolotnik and Qrt.S,

I rest my case. You are right. Thanks.

Regards,

Zilverik

[zilverik]

Hi Juke and Dad,

I forgot to thank you for your information. I am sorry for that. Better late than never: thank you very much!

Regards,

Zilverik