A CASTLE FULL OF ANIMAL MAGIC

The fascinating story – and royal connections – behind the characterful Fabergé figurines about to find new homes at auction in Geneva

- MIRANDA THOMPSON

As the global Fabergé specialist at auction house Sotheby’s, Helen Culver-Smith is well versed in dealing with priceless treasures.

But even she describes the moment she first saw Castle Howard’s “menagerie” of rare Fabergé animals as something that “only happens a couple of times in your career”.

Featuring a jewelled agate ibex, a noble obsidian rhinoceros and a gold-mounted owl, the collection of miniature creatures is instantly captivating.

For centuries, jewellery house Fabergé has been a byword for royal sophistication. It is famed for the jewel-encrusted eggs it created for the Tsars of Russia in the late 19th century, which developed into patronage from the British royals and the interconnected royal families across Europe, Helen explains.

“Fabergé was the bespoke jeweller to the great and the good of the period,” she says.

“It took a full year to make one of those eggs, but in that time, Fabergé workshops were also making many other objects to please the court. It was the favourite place for people to get gifts for the royal family.”