A Fabergé egg is a Jeweled egg
made by the House of Faberge from 1885
to 1917. Most were miniature eggs that were popular gifts at Easter. Approximately
50 eggs were made; 42 have survivedThe Fabergé Eggs are today more than ever a symbol of rarity, luxury
and tradition
The first Fabergé egg was crafted
for Tsar Alexander lll , who 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 believed that 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, it 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
multi-coloured gold hen that also opens. It contained a minute diamond replica
of the Imperial Crown from which a small ruby pendant was suspended.
Unfortunately, these last two surprises have been lost.
The Fabergé Imperial
eggs are not only splendid and precious on the outside, but also on the inside,
each usually containing a surprise. They are unique in appearance and also in
theme, each one having a different significance.
