Gems & Gemology Fall 2013, Vol. 49, No. 3

Book Review: From a Snowflake to an Iceberg: The McFerrin Collection

Dorothy McFerrin, publ. by the McFerrin Foundation, College Station, Texas, 2013, US $125

The 1902 Kelch Rocaille Egg. All 7 Kelch eggs created by Michael Perchin, Faberge
The 1902 Kelch Rocaille Egg. All 7 Kelch eggs created by Michael Perchin, Faberge's 2nd head workmaster; St. Petersburg. Height: 12 cm, Length: 14 cm. Given by Alexander Kelch to his wife Barbara Kelch-Bazonova. Image courtesy the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
The McFerrin’s have one of the largest private collections of Fabergé objects and the exhibit contains over 350 items from their collection. This book was published on the occasion of the exhibition “Fabergé: A Brilliant Vision,” part of the McFerrin Collection at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
 
In addition to descriptions and provenance of the items on display, this work contains essays on: the history of Peter Carl Fabergé and his businesses in St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as of the Romanov family; the meaning and significance of imperial awards, gifts and objects; and Fabergé’s jewelry, animal and flower carvings, picture frames, fans, parasol and cane handles, eggs, bell pulls, cigarette cases, and more. There is also some information on designer Alma Pihl and his workmasters. Of course, this all accents the book’s wonderful photography.

The McFerrins’ belief in education and sharing their knowledge is mirrored by the book’s contributors, whose essays are each accompanied by a bibliography and provenance.
 
Reviewed by GIA Library Staff
Carlsbad, California