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Fabergé (or more accurately, his goldsmiths) made the first egg in 1885. It was
commissioned by Tsar Alexander III of Russia as an Easter surprise for his wife
Maria Fyodorovna. On the outside it looked like a simple egg of white enameled
gold, but it opened up to reveal a golden yolk. The yolk itself had a golden hen
inside it, which in turn had a tiny crown with a ruby hanging inside,
reminiscent of the matryoshka nesting dolls. |
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The tsarina was so delighted by
this gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a "Court Supplier" and
commissioned an Easter gift each year thereafter, stipulating only that it
be unique and contain a surprise. Nicholas II continued the tradition,
expanding it to include an annual gift for his wife Alexandra Fedorovna as
well as his now-widowed mother. |
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The themes and appearance of the eggs varied wildly. For
instance, on the outside, the Trans-Siberian railway Egg of 1900 was dominated
by a dull metallic gray band with a map of the railway's route, but inside it
had an entire tiny train in gold.
Fifty seven eggs were produced in all. The Order of St. George Egg left Russia
with Maria Fyodorovna in 1918, but the rest remained, forgotten in the turmoil
of the Russian Revolution. Several disappeared in the looting, and the rest were
boxed up in the vaults of the Kremlin. In and after 1930, Stalin had fourteen
sold in western art auctions to raise cash, some for as little as US$400. Many
of these were bought by Armand Hammer.
As of 2003, just ten eggs were still in Russia, all on display at the Kremlin
Armory Museum. Another nine were purchased by Viktor Vekselberg in February 2004
from the Forbes family in New York city. The Vekselberg collection arrived in
Russia in July 2004. Smaller collections are in the Virginia Museum of Fine
Arts, New Orleans Museum of Art, and other museums around the world. Four eggs
are in private collections, and eight are still missing.
In the modern day, a number of companies, including Victor Mayer, the inheritor
of the Fabergé brand, offer "Fabergé eggs" whose designs are inspired by the
originals. |