August Holmström

August Holmström (* 1829 in Helsinki , Finland ; † 1903 ) or August Wilhelm Holmström was a Finnish master goldsmith .

He apprenticed to the goldsmith Herold in 1850, passed his master's examination in 1857 and founded his own workshop . In the same year he took over the management of the workshop of Gustave Fabergé in Saint Petersburg , under whose son Carl Peter Fabergé the company became famous worldwide and purveyor to the royal court of the tsars .

In addition to at least one of the imperial Fabergé eggs , the diamond weave egg (1892), he created a wide range of high-quality, exclusive and high-quality jewelry and objects such as cigarette cases. He also made miniature replicas of the imperial crown jewels of Russia, which were shown at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1900 and are now in the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg.

Holmström's descendants also joined the company. His son Albert followed him at the head of the workshop. His daughter Fanny Florentina (1869–1903) married the Finnish master goldsmith Knut Oskar Pihl (1860–1897) , who was employed by Fabergé . His granddaughter Alma Theresia Pihl (1888–1976) worked as a jewelry designer at Fabergé's side from 1911 at her uncle Albert's.

plant

The names of Fabergé and the goldsmiths who worked for him remained largely unknown to the general public in Germany - in contrast to France, England and the USA - until recently. The precious goldsmith's work created under the name Fabergé was reserved for a wealthy clientele and was popular Christmas, Easter, birthday and name day gifts from aristocratic circles. Most of them are still in private collections today.

1892: Diamond weave egg for Fabergé (England, private collection)
1896: Lily of the valley basket for Fabergé ( New Orleans , New Orleans Museum of Art, Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation Loan), gift from Tsar Nicholas II to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna
before 1900: replicas of the imperial crown jewels of Russia (Saint Petersburg, Hermitage)

literature

Christopher Forbes: Fabergé - the imperial splendor eggs , Munich a. a. 2003.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Holmström, August
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Holmström, August Wilhelm (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Finnish master goldsmith
DATE OF BIRTH	1829
PLACE OF BIRTH	Helsinki , Finland
DATE OF DEATH	1903