Anders Nevalainen

Anders (Antti) Juhaninpoika Nevalainen (1 January 1858 – 1933) was a Finnish gold- and silversmith, and a Fabergé workmaster.

Anders Nevalainen

Biography

Anders Nevalainen was born in Kylänlahti village in Pielisjärvi, Finland. He was an apprentice in Finland and in St. Petersburg in 1874, a goldworker in 1875 (and registered as an employee of Fabergé), and a master goldsmith in 1885, opened his workshop at 35 Kazanskaya Street.^[1]

As master first working in the jewelry atelier of August Holmström, he soon became head of workshop under exclusive contract with Fabergé. His workshop made silver-mounted frames in birchwood, palisander or lacquer, silver- and gold cigarette-cases, enameled silver-gilt cases with leather sleeves, several small silver-gilt objects. His initials A.N, mostly used with K.Fabergé mark without the double-headed eagle Imperial Warrant.

Anders Nevalainen later opened his own shop while maintaining his contract with Fabergé. He specialized in embroidered cigarette cases, silver frames, ceramics and woodwork.^[1]

The Nevalainen family returned to Finland after the Russian Revolution in 1917. Anders Nevalainen died in Terijoki in 1933.

Signature

In his book Fabergé’s Eggs: The Extra-ordinary Story of the Masterpieces that Outlived an Empire (2008), Dr Ulla Tillander-Godenhielm argues that workmasters were not using their exact names in their works, and that Anders Nevalainen's actual name is Antti Nevalainen (Anders being the Swedish version of his name).^[2]

Family

In 1884, Anders Nevalainen married Maria Karolina Liljerot (1860–1936). One of their five children, Arvid Nevalainen (1897–1963), was a clockmaster .^[1]

Work

• Frame with a miniature of Queen Alexandra^[3][4]