Few stories in the world of rare antiques are as remarkable as the discovery of a tiny Fabergé figure hidden for decades in an Upstate New York attic. What initially appeared to be an old decorative object turned out to be an exceptionally rare work connected to Russia’s imperial court. When the seven-inch-tall hardstone figure was finally offered at auction in 2013, intense bidding drove its hammer price to $5.2 million, far above its presale estimate of $500,000 to $800,000. The extraordinary discovery became another reminder that priceless pieces of art history can sometimes remain hidden in ordinary homes, boxes and attics for generations.
The object was created in 1912 by the workshop of Peter Carl Fabergé, whose name has become synonymous with extraordinary Russian decorative arts. Rather than depicting an abstract design or an elaborate Easter egg, this particular piece portrayed Nikolai N. Pustynnikov, a Kamer-Kazak, or Chamber Cossack, who served as a personal bodyguard to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, wife of Emperor Nicholas II. The figure was part of a distinctive series of highly detailed hardstone portraits produced during the final years of Imperial Russia. Fabergé's hardstone figures were prized for their realism, craftsmanship and ability to capture recognizable people and characters in miniature form.
