Russian jeweller (1846–1920) best known for the famous Faberge eggs made of precious metals and gems. Scarce TLS in Russian, signed in Cyrillic, “K. Faberge,” one page, 8 x 8, Faberge letterhead, September 19, 1916. In full: “I hereby certify that Collegiate Secretary Mr. Otto Ottovich Bauer is the general proxy of my businesses in Petrograd, Moscow, Odessa, and London, and is the responsible representative for all the firm’s undertakings in filling orders for the Defense of the Nation, by virtue of which it is my honor to sincerely request that Mr. Bauer be granted a deferment from conscription for the performance of military duties until January 1, 1917. In this regard, I would add that Mr. Bauer is my aide-de-camp, that he is indispensable to me, and that I do not believe it would be possible for the firm to continue filling the orders it receives for the defense of the Nation without him.” In very good condition, with horizontal and vertical folds, punch holes to left edge, scattered creases, and a uniform shade of toning.
With the start of World War I in 1914, the mass conscription of craftsmen and workers combined with a waning demand for high-end luxury items led the House of Faberge to begin producing more practical copper articles for sale. They also shifted more attention to “the defense of the Nation,” manufacturing military equipment, grenades, and syringes for the war effort. In this letter, Faberge requests a deferment from conscription for Otto Bauer, his chief accountant and proxy since 1898, claiming that it would not “be possible for the firm to continue filling the orders it receives for the defense of the Nation without him.” This request was granted and Bauer continued to work for Faberge through the Russian Revolution. Seemingly ungrateful to Faberge for keeping him out of military duty, in which millions of Russians were killed or taken prisoner, Bauer is believed to have later stolen and hidden an estimated twenty boxes of Faberge items, including the company’s books and records. A scarce letter written during Russia’s most tumultuous period from one of the greatest craftsmen of all time. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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