A rare and exquisitely crafted Winter Egg by Fabergé—once owned by Russia’s imperial family—is going up for auction at Christie’s in London, with an estimated price of over £20 million (about US$26.4 million). The 1913 rock-crystal egg is adorned with platinum and more than 4,500 diamonds, and opens to reveal a jeweled basket of quartz flowers, a hidden “surprise” typical of imperial Fabergé eggs.
This remarkable sale shines new light on the enduring legacy of Fabergé's creations. It’s hard to have a conversation about iconic royal heirlooms without mentioning the Fabergé eggs. Made for the rulers of Russia as gifts to their family during the late 1800s and early 1900s, they would become some of the most famous pieces of decorative art in history.
Now scattered in museums and private collections around the world, these eggs, made from precious metals and adorned with innumerable jewels and gems, were once the most prized possessions of a dynasty on its way out. More than just beautiful heirlooms, they also marked the end of the nearly 300-year-long era of the Romanov family’s reign over the Russian states.
After the Bolsheviks ousted the Romanovs in 1917, almost all evidence of their reign was wiped away, the Fabergé eggs being an exception. Designed and created exclusively in the House of Fabergé workshop in Saint Petersburg, the eggs are an exquisite feat of craftsmanship and highly sought after by collectors across the globe.
Intrigued? Read on to find out more about these masterpieces and explore some of the most stunning imperial Fabergé eggs ever created.