KOLLIN, Erik August (1836-1901) Fabergé's Swedish/Finnish head workmaster until 1886. His hallmarks: 'E.K.' in latin or in Russin Cyrillic

Erik August Kollin (28 December 1836 – 1901) was born in Pohia Finland.
He studied as a journeyman with gold and silversmith Alexander Palmén
in Ekenas, in 1858 before traveling to St. Petersburg. He qualified as
work master in 1868 at August Holmström's workshop, and in 1870
opened his own workshop in St. Petersburg. Kollin worked for August
Holmstrom, and for Carl Faberge and was soon put in charge of all
Faberge workshops.

He was Fabergé's first chief jeweler. Specialized in gold and silver articles, most of
them in an archaic style of the period. The artefacts produced by Kollin for Fabergé
before his departure in 1886 generally bears his initials EK, Evidently these pre-date
the change of hallmarks in 1899. Objects bearing EK mark should be considered as
the work of an independent operator.


Erik Kollin (1836-1901) – workmaster mark EK  – active 1870-1901
Born in Pohja, Finland, Erik August Kollin was initially trained in his native country, then a Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire.
Upon moving to the Imperial Russian capital, St. Petersburg, Kollin began working in 1858 as a journeyman for Gustav Fabergé’s principal jeweler, August Wilhelm Holmström (active 1857-1903). Kollin qualified as a master goldsmith in 1868 & opened his own workshop in 1870 under exclusive contract to Fabergé. 2 years later Fabergé,
now managing his father’s business, appointed Kollin the first chief workmaster to oversee all the firm’s workshops. During his tenure, he achieved national and international acclaim for Fabergé by famously creating and exhibiting detailed replicas of 40 Scythian artifacts located in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage Collection. While completing the commission, Kollin mastered his distinctive ‘archeological-revival’ style seen in his Fabergé objects. In 1885, Fabergé was appointed Supplier to the Court of His Imperial Majesty. It is believed Kollin created the First Hen Egg in the same year for Emperor Alexander III, beginning an Easter tradition lasting until the end of the Romanov Dynasty in 1917. According to recent research by Fabergé scholar Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm, Carl Fabergé suddenly replaced Kollin, his chief workmaster, at the end of 1888 with Mikhail Perkhin (active 1886-1903) for reasons still unclear. Perkhin took up his new role at the beginning of 1889, thus correcting the long-held belief Kollin was replaced in 1886. The Borki objects from his workshop were probably some of the last imperial commissions Kollin oversaw prior to stepping down to run his own independent workshop until his death in 1901. Tillander-Godenhielm adds that the evidence suggests Kollin continued to do work for Fabergé, and other retail jewelers. His widow Henrika (Henrietta) carried on with the independent workshop after his death and was granted the use of her late husband’s workmaster mark  until 1917. (Summary of Kollin’s biographical data, Fabergé Research Newsletter, Spring and Summer 2019; Tillander-Godenhielm, Ulla. Fabergé: His Masters and Artisans, 2018.