The Art of Carl Faberge

London: Faber and Faber , 1974. Cloth. Near Fine/Near Fine. 10" by 7.5". Not Stated . A signed copy of this charming volume exploring the famous jewellery of Peter Carl Faberge. An early printing of the third edition of this volume, originally published in 1953. A tribute work to the famous art of Peter Carl Faberge, Russian jeweller best known for his Faberge eggs, which appear as Easter eggs but are made of precious metals and gemstones. Written by A. Kenneth Snowman. An uncommonly signed copy to the title page. This volume explores Faberge's career and the development of his art, looking at the influences to his work, stone carving, and more. Including a catalogue of Imperial East Eggs, a chronological table of events, a family tree, and four appendixes. Illustrated with a coloured frontispiece, eighty six full page coloured plates, as well as four hundred and seven illustrations in black and white. Collated, complete. With the price-clipped dust wrapper. From the library at Julian Park, Hertfordshire, belonging to Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie. Audrey was the youngest daughter of an Anglo-American lumber and steel millionaire, sister to Edward James, a key figure in the Surrealist movement, and the illegitimate granddaughter of King Edward VII. She was an English socialite known for her beauty and for charming various wealthy men, she was included in The Book of Beauty by Cecil Beaton. A patron of the arts, she assisted Viscount Carlow financially in the publication of limited editions of numerous works by leading literary figures such as T E Lawrence, James Joyce, Wyndham Lewis, and others. A hedonistic pursuer, she was recognised as one of the 'Bright Young Things'.  In the original publisher's full cloth binding. Externally lovely with minor shelf wear and a minor bumping to the head and tail of the spine and extremities. Signed by the author to the title page. The dust wrapper is price clipped and excellent with minor shelf wear only. Internally, firmly bound. The pages are bright and clean. Illustrated with a coloured frontispiece, eighty six full page coloured plates, as well as four hundred and seven illustrations in black and white. Collated, complete. Near Fine