A large enamelled gold mounted nephrite desk knife by Carl Fabergé, Chief Workmaster: Henrik Wigstrom, St. Petersburg, 1912. Photo courtesy Wartsky
the blade fashioned from Siberian nephrite is sleeved with a green gold mount enamelled translucent lilac over a dappled ground, with rounded rectangular yellow gold reserves holding green gold bell flowers, encircled top and bottom with bands of opaque white enamel bound with leaves; inventory number: 22661; 31 cm by 4 cm. Price on application
Fabergé's London branch sold some of the firm's finest pieces, Birbaum; Fabergé's works manager recalled in his memoirs that items destined for London possessed 'greater simplicity of form and more restrained ornamentation, with special attention being paid to the technical finish'.
Mrs. Leeds was a young and beautiful American heiress. She was one of Fabergé's most important customers and acquired sixty-five pieces from the firm. She later married Prince Christopher of Greece and became Princess Anastasia of Greece.
The design for the paper cutter is contained in the design album of Fabergé's Chief Workmaster Henrik Wigström dated 13th September 1912.
Wartsky. http://www.wartski.com/
Design for the papercutter from Wigström' s design album dated 13th September 1912, the handle noted ' nephrite' in Cyrillic.