Английский язык 3,5 года / Английский язык / Лариса Анато / 49

Раздел IV

Контрольные задания

Вариант 3

Faberge Jewelry: A Long Russian History

At the turn of the 19th century, Peter Faberge, the grandfather of the celebrated jeweler, moved from Schwedt-on-Oder to Rarnu. Here, in 1814, was born his son Gustav, founder of the famous company and father of Peter Carl Faberge.

Destined to become the most famous of the Faberge's, Carl studied in Germany, Britain, Italy, and France. In 1870, at the age of 24, Carl came to St. Petersburg, Russia, to take over his father's business.

Faberge was soon to enjoy his first taste of success. He won a gold medal at an all-Russian exhibition, praise from Alexander III, and the title of Jeweler to His Imperial Majesty and to the Royal Hermitage. Four years later, in 1885, he won international recognition in the form of a gold medal.

Faberge's greatest successes both at exhibitions and with the closely related royal families of Europe were his famous Easter eggs containing jeweled gifts. The first golden Easter egg was seen at the Nurnberg Exhibition. The idea of jeweled Easter eggs was itself nothing new. The tradition of presenting Easter eggs which v/ere generously decorated by court jewelers, dates back to the time of Louis XV.

Yet Faberge didn't just imitate established styles nor did he copy his predecessors. His clients v/ere struck:

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not only by the abundance of precious stones and the carefully considered combinations of materials that were previously regarded as incompatible. He blended multicolored gold, silver, platinum, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds with semiprecious stones (agates, jasper, and chalcedony) and mineral gems (jade, lapis, rhodonites, and obsidians).

Carl Faberge was not only bursting with new ideas, he was also an outstanding production manager. At its prime, the Faberge firm employed more than 500 craftsmen. Faberge encouraged each of them to develop his own distinctive style. Yet, despite the diversity of style and the range of Faberge products, the firm's goods are always recognizable and are always of a high quality.

Ответьте на вопросы:

1. When did Carl Faberge take over his father's business?

1. What was Faberge's greatest success?

2. How did Faberge achieve and maintain a reputation for high quality products?

2. What were his clients struck by?

3. Why are Faberge products always recognizable?

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