L.S. M.
Yelp
I review a lot of places as my husband and I travel, but where to start reviewing this little private museum in a renovated old building? Most everything about it is done poorly, from the entrance fee (18 euros per adult) to the terrible signage (most of which has no English - Russian is the primary language with German on about 80% of the signs) to the poor lighting to the awkward casing (I found myself stooping and twisting to see some pieces, and pulled out my iPhone light a couple of times) to the tarnish on the silver pieces. There is no explanatory or background information offered. The docent working the Faberge floor was not helpful - she seemed to have a grudge against "the supermarket of America" and Britain for buying up much of the Faberge egg collection, and when I inquired about a displayed letter to Mrs. Herbert W. Hoover, over which the mailing tube had been placed so as to obscure the letter's contents, she informed me that the content of the letter was not important (then why was it displayed??). When I asked about the particular technique used on one enameled box (an interesting blue-purple dendritic pattern on a small pink box - I saw no other boxes decorated with this particular pattern and it appeared too delicate to have been painted on), she answered with a very hasty explanation of the general enameling process - not specific to the pattern about which I had inquired. All of the foregoing aside, the collection of art objects is simply outstanding. There is a breadth to the Faberge collection as well as a depth in the smaller decorative objects like cigarette cases, animal statuettes, egg jewelry. The walls hold several interesting old photographs of the Faberge studios, the Russian royal family, etc. The third floor is a very small but lovely collection of metals art by other well-known artists, and the first floor "permanent special exhibit" has a nice assortment of pre-Columbian goldwork and other pieces. I had some background knowledge in the work of Faberge, the Easter eggs for the royals, and the general process of goldworking/jewelry making, so I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the collection, learned some new information about the Faberge workshops and their role in producing medical/army equipment during WWII, and did not feel that I had been cheated on the 18 euros admission fee. It is such a pity that the museum itself appears to have been set up by, I don't know, a cousin or neice with no experience who is managing it for the owner? I am puzzled as to the target audience for this museum - Russians on holiday in Baden-Baden, perhaps? If organized well, displayed well, cleaned of tarnish, and signed in English (as well as Russian and German), this could be a world-class museum. If you love Faberge works and/or handmade precious metals artwork, definitely see this collection.