《IMPERIAL EGGS @ FABERGÉ》

The spectacular Easter Eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian Imperial family between 1885 and 1917 are the most celebrated and awe-inspiring of all Fabergé works of art, inextricably linked to the Fabergé name and legend. Virtuoso objets de fantaisie, of breathtaking finesse and complexity, each Imperial Easter Egg, with a specific theme, was layered with personal and cultural references. The annual presentation of the Fabergé Egg, intensely private and personal, was played out against an extraordinary historical backdrop, imbuing the objects with profound and poignant romance.

 

The tradition began in 1885, when Tsar Alexander III commissioned Fabergé to create a jewelled Easter Egg as a surprise for his wife, the Empress Maria Fedorovna. It is said that the Tsar, who had first noticed Fabergé’s work at the Pan-Russian Exhibition in Moscow in 1882, was inspired by an 18th century egg owned by the Empress’s aunt, Princess Wilhelmine Marie of Denmark, that had captivated the young Maria during her childhood in Denmark. The idea was rooted in the centuries-old custom of bringing hand-coloured eggs to Church on Easter Day to be blessed, and then presented to friends and family. As this custom had evolved over the years, lavish, jewelled gifts were traditionally exchanged at Easter amongst the highest echelons of St Petersburg society.

 

The first Imperial Easter Egg, known as the Hen Egg, was crafted from gold, its white enamelled "shell" opening to reveal a matt yellow gold yolk, inside which was a gold hen containing a minute diamond replica of the Imperial Crown hung with a tiny ruby pendant egg. The hidden surprises became a much-anticipated, thrilling feature of each subsequent Imperial Easter Egg. The tradition continued until 1917, with Nicholas II presenting an egg to both his wife, Alexandra and his mother, generating the most opulent, captivating and compelling gifts the world has seen, and arguably the most iconic objects in the history of the decorative arts.

Alongside these masterpieces and a limited number of elaborate egg objects made for a select handful of clients, including the Kerch, Nobel and Rothschild families, and the Duchess of Marlborough, the House of Fabergé created thousands of small and exquisitely refined egg pendants, in a vast variety of styles and materials, gold, gems, enamels, even porcelain and wood. Worn on a chain, one or several at a time, these were favourite gifts not only for Easter, but for birthdays and name days.