Rare Fabergé Egg, Once Owned by Russian Royalty, Sells for Record $30.2 Million
A Fabergé egg crafted for teh Russian imperial family in 1913 has shattered auction records, selling for $30.2 million at Christie’s London, the auction house announced Tuesday. Known as the “Winter Egg,” the opulent creation-comparable to the “Mona Lisa” for decorative arts,according to Christie’s-is one of only seven of these jeweled objects remaining in private hands.
The sale price marks a new world record for a Fabergé item and underscores the enduring allure of Russia’s Romanov dynasty and the exquisite craftsmanship of Peter Carl Fabergé. The egg’s journey from imperial treasure to private collection, and now to an undisclosed buyer, reflects a turbulent history and the continuing captivation with a lost era of luxury. The record-breaking price also highlights the robust market for rare collectibles and the enduring investment value of historically important art.
The 4-inch tall egg is meticulously carved from rock crystal and adorned with a delicate platinum snowflake motif and 4,500 diamonds. Inside, a removable basket holds bejeweled quartz flowers symbolizing spring.Czar Nicholas II commissioned the egg as an Easter present for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. It was designed by alma Pihl, one of Fabergé’s few female designers, who also created an egg now owned by the British royal family.
Fabergé and his company created more then 50 of these elaborate eggs for the Russian imperial family between 1885 and 1917, each containing a hidden surprise. Czar Alexander III began the tradition, presenting an egg to his wife each Easter, a practice continued by Nicholas II for his wife and mother.
The “Winter Egg”‘s history after the 1917 revolution saw it purchased by a London dealer for 450 pounds in the 1920s as the Communist authorities sold off Russia’s artistic treasures. It resurfaced at Christie’s in 1994,selling for over 7 million Swiss francs ($5.6 million at the time), and again in 2002 for $9.6 million.Each sale established a new record for a Fabergé item.
There are 43 surviving imperial Fabergé eggs, the majority housed in museums worldwide. Margo Oganesian, head of Christie’s Russian art department, described the egg as “the ‘Mona lisa’ for decorative arts,” a superb example of craft and design.
