A spray of philadelphus comprising three blooms and one bud of white quartzite with olivine centres and gold stamens with two carved nephrite leaves on red gold stalk, in a rock crystal vase

A design for philadelphus, closely related to this example, exists in an unpublished album of designs from Henrik Wigström’s workshop. Philadelphus, or mock orange, was well known to inhabitants of Russia – particularly in the region of St Petersburg where during the early part of July its intoxicating scent filled gardens and wafted through open windows of dachas and estates. The popularity of the flower explains why several examples were made by Fabergé.

Marked Fabergé in Cyrillic characters and possibly HW for the workmaster Henrik Wigström?

Text adapted from Fabergé in the Royal Collection