KCWC has offered lectures before on Fabergé. But never in conjunction with a blockbuster exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum scheduled November 2021 – May 2022.  Nor with such a renown expert: Cynthia Coleman Sparke. And this will be the first time we will explore the Fabergé connection between Russia and England focusing on, not only the exhibit objects, but the insatiable Edwardian demand for treasures from St Petersburg.

The house of Fabergé’s London sales ledgers document aristocratic patronage and a Who’s Who of Edwardian society. British royalty and American dollar princesses flocked to the London branch. Additionally its famed trunk shows delighted buyers on the Continent and as far away as Siam and India. The role of the London firm cannot be overstated and provides us with an insight into a society that was forever altered by the world events to follow.

Our lecturer is an author and auction house consultant on Russian pre-Revolution works of art specifically Fabergé. Having grown up in Moscow within a family of art collectors, she was destined for this career specialty. Previously, Cynthia ran the Russian Department for Christie’s in New York and worked for Hillwood Estate documenting the owners famed Faberge pieces. This was followed by a restoration project at the Alexander Palace in Tsarskoe Selo, Nicholas II’s last residence. Her book Russian Decorative Arts was published in 2014 by the Antique Collectors’ Club. Cynthia is a member of the Guild of Arts Scholars.