A Fabergé egg () is a jewelled egg first created by the jewellery firm House of Fabergé, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. As many as 69 eggs were created during the Tsarist era, of which 61 are known to have survived. The most famous of the house creations are the 50 Imperial Easter eggs manufactured under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé, between 1885 and 1917, of which 44 are known to be in complete or partial physical existence, leaving the fate of those remaining unknown. The eggs are very highly sought-after collectors' items.
The eggs were commissioned for the Russian tsar Alexander III (10 eggs) and tsar Nicholas II (40 eggs) as Easter gifts for Alexander's wife and Nicholas's mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, and Nicholas's wife Tsaritsa Alexandra Feodorovna. Fabergé eggs are worth large sums of money and have become symbols of opulence.
Two more Fabergé Easter Imperial eggs (bringing the total to 52) were designed but were not delivered. One egg, known as the Karelian Birch Egg, has sketches but is not confirmed to have actually been made, and the other, the Blue Tsesarevich Constellation Egg, was only partially completed, due to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 2011, Theo Fabergé, grandson of Peter Carl Fabergé, created a series of eggs as part of the St. Petersburg Collection.
Contemporary Fabergé eggs are made by Fabergé UK Limited, the reestablished jewellery house, which maintains a Fabergé Heritage Council involving Fabergé family members.
History
The House of Fabergé was founded by the goldsmith Gustav Fabergé in 1842 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the eggs were commissioned by the Russian tsar after Peter Carl Fabergé took the helm, in 1882.
For Easter in 1883, before his coronation, Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna were given eggs, one of which contained a silver dagger and two skulls. The egg came with messages, including "Christ is risen" and "You may crush us—but we Nihilists shall rise again!"
Prior to Easter 1885, Alexander III's brother Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich suggested that Peter Carl Fabergé create a jewelled egg. This type of egg is believed to have been inspired by an ivory hen egg made for the Danish Royal Collection in the 18th century. Known as the Hen Egg, it had a outer enamel shell and a golden band around the middle. The egg opens to reveal a golden "yolk" within, which in turn opens to expose a golden hen sitting on golden straw. Inside the hen lies a miniature diamond replica of the imperial crown and a ruby pendant, though these two elements have been lost. The egg cost 4,151 rubles. Six weeks later, the emperor made Fabergé the supplier to the imperial court, following which, the egg designs became more elaborate. Once Fabergé had approved an initial design, the work was carried out by a team of craftsmen, among them Michael Perkhin, Henrik Wigström, and Erik August Kollin.
After Alexander III's death on 1 November 1894, his son, Nicholas II, presented a Fabergé egg to both his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, and his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Records have shown that of the 50 Imperial Easter eggs, 20 were given to the former and 30 to the latter. Eggs were made each year except 1904 and 1905, during the Russo-Japanese War.
The imperial eggs enjoyed great fame. Fabergé was commissioned to make similar eggs for a few private clients, including the Duchess of Marlborough, the Rothschild family, and the Yusupovs. He was also commissioned to make twelve eggs for the industrialist Alexander Kelch, though only seven appear to have been completed. Following the revolution and the nationalisation of the Fabergé workshop in Saint Petersburg by the Bolsheviks in 1918, the Fabergé family left Russia. Their trademark was sold several times, and different companies retailed merchandise using the Fabergé name. From 1998 to 2009, the Victor Mayer jewellery company produced Fabergé eggs under Unilever's license.
Art of surprise
Every Fabergé egg embodied a story and a surprise. The Hen Egg (1885) opened to reveal a golden egg and hen. The Rosebud Egg (1895) was the first egg made for Alexandra Fedorovna, wife of Tsar Nicholas II, and featured a yellow rose, believed to be the most noble colour, a miniature jewelled crown, and a ruby pendant (both missing).
The Danish Palace Egg (1890) contained a folding ten-panel screen depicting the Danish Imperial yacht Polar Star, Amaliensborg Palace, the estate of Hvidøre, Fredensborg Palace, Bernsdorff Castle, Kronberg Castle, two views of Cottage Palace in Copenhagen, and Catching Palace, St Petersburg.
Techniques such as guilloché enamelling were introduced by Fabergé, and quality was overseen and approved by Peter Carl himself, or in his absence, by his eldest son Eugène, before it was placed into stock. The smallest of faults would result in rejection.
Fabergé eggs since 2007 The Fabergé trademarks were consolidated in 2007 and are owned by Fabergé UK Limited, which makes luxury fine jewellery. Among their 21st-century collaborations was a series of pieces celebrating the 007 archive, which included the "007 Octopussy" capsule collection, inspired by the 1983 James Bond film, Octopussy.
In December 2023, Fabergé debuted "Journey in Jewels" on the Seven Seas Grandeur, a luxury cruise ship from Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
List of eggs List of Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs Below is a chronology of the 52 eggs made for the imperial family. The dating of the eggs has evolved. An earlier chronology dated the Blue Serpent Clock Egg to 1887 and identified the 1895 egg as the Twelve Monograms Egg. The discovery of the previously lost Third Imperial Easter Egg confirms the chronology below.
Date Egg Image Description Owner 1885 First Hen Also known as the Jewelled Hen Egg, it was the first in a series of 54 jewelled eggs made for the Russian imperial family under Fabergé's supervision. It was delivered to Alexander III in 1885. The Tsarina and the Tsar enjoyed the egg so much that Alexander III ordered a new one from Fabergé for his wife every Easter thereafter. Viktor Vekselberg 1886 Hen with Sapphire Pendant Also known as the Egg with Hen in Basket, it was made in 1886 for Alexander III, who presented it to his wife, the Empress Maria Feodorovna. This 1902 photograph shows Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs belonging to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna and the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. It is possible that Hen with Sapphire Pendant is among the Fabergé eggs in this picture. Lost 1887 Third Imperial A jewelled and ridged yellow–gold egg with Vacheron Constantin watch stands on its original tripod pedestal, which has chased lion paw feet and is encircled by coloured gold garlands suspended from cabochon blue sapphires topped with rose diamond set bows. It resurfaced at an American flea market, where it was purchased around 2004 by a dealer, who, not knowing its true value, attempted to sell it but failed. The dealer eventually looked up the egg online in 2012 and had its identity confirmed by the London-based jeweller Wartski, who purchased it on behalf of an unidentified private collector. Private collection 1888 Cherub with Chariot Also known as the Angel with Egg in Chariot, it was crafted and delivered in 1888 to Alexander III. This is one of the lost Imperial eggs. Few details are known about it. The second image is computer-generated, based on available descriptions of the egg. Lost 1889 Nécessaire Crafted and delivered to Alexander III, who presented it to his wife, Maria Feodorovna, on Easter 1889. Sold in 1952 Private collection, details unknown 1890 Danish Palaces Alexander III presented it to his wife, Maria Feodorovna, on Easter 1890. Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, until 2021 1891 Memory of Azov Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1892 Diamond Trellis The surprise, an elephant automaton thought to have been lost for many years, was identified in 2015 as being in the collection of the British Royal Collection Trust. Dorothy and Artie McFerrin collection, US 1893 Caucasus Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation, displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City 1894 Renaissance One theory is that the surprise is part of another Fabergé egg, the Resurrection, which perfectly fits the curvature of the Renaissance egg's shell and has a similar decoration in enamel on the base. Viktor Vekselberg 1895 Rosebud Viktor Vekselberg 1895 Blue Serpent Clock Before March 2014, it was mistaken for the Third Imperial egg. Albert II of Monaco collection, Monte Carlo, Monaco 1896 Rock Crystal Also known as the Revolving Miniatures Egg Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, US 1896 Twelve Monograms Also known as the Alexander III Portraits egg.Hillwood Museum have identified the Twelve Monograms Egg previously dated to 1895 as the Alexander III Portraits Egg of 1896, Artdaily.com Surprise is missing. Hillwood Museum, Washington, D.C., US 1897 Imperial Coronation Viktor Vekselberg 1897 Mauve Only the egg's surprise (pictured) has been found. LostViktor Vekselberg 1898 Lilies of the Valley Made under the supervision of Fabergé in 1898 by Fabergé ateliers. The supervising goldsmith was Michael Perchin. The egg is one of two in the Art Nouveau style. It was presented on 5 April to Tsar Nicholas II and given to his wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna. Viktor Vekselberg 1898 Pelican Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, US 1899 Bouquet of Lilies Clock Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1899 Pansy Also known as the Spinach Jade Egg, made by Fabergé in 1899 for Tsar Nicholas II and given to Empress Maria Feodoronova as a gift. The egg has a mechanism that when pressed will allow the heart inside to open up as a pendant containing pictures of family members. Made of nephrite, silver-gilt, diamonds, white, red, green, and opaque violet enamel. Heart surprise made of varicoloured gold, diamonds, pearls, enamel, and mother-of-pearl. Matilda Gray Stream, US 1900 Trans-Siberian Railway Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1900 Cockerel Viktor Vekselberg 1901 Basket of Flowers Royal Collection, London, United Kingdom 1901 Gatchina Palace Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, US 1902 Clover Leaf Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1902 Empire Nephrite Probably a Fauxbergé Private collection, New York City 1903 Peter the Great Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, US 1903 Royal Danish Lost 1906 Moscow Kremlin Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1906 Swan Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation, Switzerland 1907 Rose Trellis Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland, US 1907 Cradle with Garlands Also known as the "Love Trophies" egg Private collection, Robert M. Lee, US 1908 Alexander Palace Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1908 Peacock The Peacock egg is a jewel and rock crystal Easter egg made by Dorofeiev under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1908. It was made for Nicholas II of Russia, who presented the egg to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, in 1908. The transparent egg is composed of rock crystal and gilt silver wire and is quite simple in style. The genius of the egg lay in its surprise: the egg is held together by a clasp at the top, and when opened, falls into two halves, each with a rococo-style mount. Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation, Switzerland 1909 Standart Yacht Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1909 Alexander III Commemorative Lost 1910 Colonnade Royal Collection, London, UK 1910 Alexander III Equestrian Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia 1911 Fifteenth Anniversary Viktor Vekselberg 1911 Bay Tree Also known as the Orange Tree egg. Viktor Vekselberg 1912 Tsarevich Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia, US 1912 Napoleonic Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation.