Fabergé Egg
A Fabergé Egg is one of a limited number of jeweled eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé and his company from 1885 to 1917. The most famous of the eggs are the ones made for the Russian Tsars Alexander III and Nicholas II as Easter gifts for their wives and mothers, often called the 'Imperial' Fabergé eggs.
The House of Fabergé made about 50 eggs and 43 have survived.
The House of Fabergé made about 50 eggs and 43 have survived.
The first Fabergé egg was crafted for Tsar Alexander III, who had decided to give his wife, the Empress Maria Fedorovna, an Easter Egg in 1885, possibly to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal.
It is believedthat the Tsar’s inspiration for the piece was an egg owned by the Empress’s aunt, Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark, which had captivated Maria’s imagination in her childhood.
Known as the Hen Egg, the first Fabergé egg is crafted from gold. Its opaque white enameled "shell"
It is believedthat the Tsar’s inspiration for the piece was an egg owned by the Empress’s aunt, Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark, which had captivated Maria’s imagination in her childhood.
Known as the Hen Egg, the first Fabergé egg is crafted from gold. Its opaque white enameled "shell"
opens to reveal its first surprise, a matte yellow-gold yolk.
This in turn opens to reveal a multicolored gold hen that also opens.
The hen contained a minute diamond replica of the imperial crown from which a small ruby pendant was suspended, but these last two elements have been lost.
Empress Maria was so delighted by the gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a "goldsmith by special appointment to the Imperial Crown" and commissioned another egg the next year.After that, Peter Carl Fabergé was apparently given complete freedom for the design of future imperial Easter eggs, and their designs became more elaborate.
According to Fabergé family lore, not even the Tsar knew what form they would take—the only requirement was that each contains a surprise.
Once Peter Carl Fabergé had approved an initial design, the work was carried out by a team of craftsmen.
After Alexander III's death on November 1, 1894, his son Nicholas II presented a Fabergé egg to both his wife, Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, and his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna.
Eggs were made each year except 1904 and 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War.
Eggs were made each year except 1904 and 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War.
The Imperial eggs enjoyed great fame, and Fabergé was commissioned to make similar eggs for a few private clients, including the Duchess of Marlborough, the Rothschild family and the Yusupovs.
No comments:
Post a Comment