DALLAS, TX.- Heritage Auctions will present Fabergé: A Gentleman’s Collection, a landmark auction offering more than 200 works by the House of Fabergé. Representing one of the most significant private collections of its kind ever assembled, the sale will take place May 20, 2026. This single-owner auction serves as Heritage’s Russian Works of Art Spring Signature® Auction.

Spanning the most innovative decades of Fabergé’s production and complemented by a smaller group of works by leading predecessors and contemporaries, the collection offers an unparalleled survey of Fabergé’s work from the early days of the firm through the final years of the Imperial era. Not since a landmark 1981 Geneva sale of 200 Fabergé works has such a substantial group appeared at auction.

At the heart of the collection are works that retain their original Fabergé inventory numbers—rare survivals that correspond directly to the firm’s ledgers, providing invaluable insight into date, cost and original ownership. Many pieces are preserved in original condition, often with fitted cases and archival documentation, offering a level of authenticity and historical continuity rarely encountered outside major institutional holdings.

“This is a once-in-a-generation moment,” says Nick Nicholson, Deputy Chairman, Decorative Arts and Director of Russian Works of Art at Heritage Auctions. “No auction house has brought this large a group of Fabergé to market at once since 1980. Sotheby’s sale of the Forbes Collection in 2004 would have been as large, but that sale was famously pre-empted.”

A Collection of Imperial and Royal Provenances

The collection is distinguished by its works of remarkable provenance. Numerous objects can be traced directly to members of the Russian Imperial family—including the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna and Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna—as well as to European royal houses and important 20th-century collectors.

Among the highlights:

• An Imperial Fabergé silver kovsh from the collection of Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, illustrated at the 1902 von Derviz Exhibition, one of the earliest exhibitions of Fabergé’s work

• A rare Fabergé diamond- and pearl-set enameled table clock by workmaster Mikhail Perkhin, acquired by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and gifted within the Baden royal family

• An egg-shaped photograph frame presented by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna to her sister, accompanied by a handwritten inscription

• A monumental hardstone flower study of a rowan tree sprig, exemplifying Fabergé’s mastery of naturalistic sculpture and among the most iconic forms produced by the firm

• A rare gold- and silver-mounted nephrite and rhodonite backgammon set, demonstrating Fabergé’s transformation of functional objects into luxurious works of art

The sale also features a distinguished group of hardstone animal carvings, including an aventurine piglet and agate dachshund, reflecting Fabergé’s near-monopoly in this field and his innovative use of Russia’s mineral resources.

The Art of Fabergé and His Contemporaries

The breadth of the collection extends beyond Fabergé to include makers such as Britzin, Grachev and Bolin—purveyors to the Imperial Court who collectively defined the golden age of Russian luxury craftsmanship. Drinking vessels, desk objects, presentation pieces and sculptures demonstrate remarkable diversity in form, technique and artistic expression.

The collection is also notable for its representation of Fabergé’s leading workmasters, including Mikhail Perkhin, Henrik Wigström, Anders Nevalainen, Anna Ringe and Julius Rappoport, illustrating the collaborative workshop system that underpinned the firm’s success.

A Transparent and Accessible Auction Format

In a departure from traditional auction practices, Heritage will offer all lots without published estimates.

“Because of the scale and diversity of the collection, we felt that estimates would only distract or discourage buyers,” says Nicholson. “The Fabergé collecting world is highly knowledgeable.”

Instead, every lot will open at a low or realistic starting bid, with no hidden reserves. “Heritage is a completely transparent auction house,” says Nicholson. “Buyers will not be bidding against a reserve, a guarantee or the house itself. The only question is simple: Will I buy this at the opening bid?”

This approach reflects both Heritage’s commitment to transparency and a return to the format used in the historic Geneva Fabergé sales of the 1970s and 1980s.

Global Exhibition and Sale Details

The auction will be conducted in Dallas, with preview exhibitions held in Chicago, New York, Palm Beach, Dallas and London.

All property will be located in Geneva, Switzerland at the time of sale, where title will pass to the winning bidder. Following the auction, Crozier Fine Arts in Geneva will manage storage, packing and shipping arrangements directly with buyers.

“While the sale takes place in Dallas, it will be, in effect, as if the buyer had bought in Switzerland,” notes Nicholson.

A Rare Opportunity

Offered publicly for the first time, Fabergé: A Gentleman’s Collection represents a unique opportunity to acquire works that embody the artistry, sophistication, and cultural legacy of the Fabergé firm. This historic sale brings together, in a single moment, the technical brilliance, imperial patronage and enduring allure that define Fabergé at its highest level.