Fabergé Winter Egg Shatters Auction Records, Fetching $28.7 Million in london
A Fabergé Imperial Easter egg, the Winter Egg, realized a record-breaking £22.9 million (approximately $28.7 million) at ChristieS in London today, eclipsing all previous auction prices for a Fabergé creation. The sale underscores the enduring allure and investment value of these opulent artifacts of Russian imperial history.
Created between 1913 and 1914 for Tsar Nicholas II as a gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the Winter Egg’s price dramatically exceeds the £9.6 million ($8.3 million) it garnered at a 2002 New York auction-a previous record. The extraordinary result signals heightened demand for Fabergé eggs among collectors and investors,with implications for the future valuation of the remaining,historically significant pieces.
The tradition of these lavish Easter gifts began in the 1880s under Tsar Alexander II, who commissioned the first Imperial egg from goldsmith Peter Carl Fabergé. Nicholas II continued the practice, annually presenting two eggs-one for his mother and another for his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. Over 31 years, fabergé and his workshop crafted approximately 50 of these intricate masterpieces for the Romanov family.
The Winter Egg’s journey since the 1917 Russian Revolution has been marked by periods of uncertainty. Between 1929 and 1933, the Soviet goverment sold the egg to London jewelers Wartski to raise foreign currency. It subsequently passed through several British collections before disappearing from view between 1975 and 1994.
Today, onyl 43 of the original 50 Imperial Fabergé eggs remain, with seven still unaccounted for. “They are extremely rare and valuable,” noted Margo Oganesian of Christie’s, highlighting the exceptional status of these objects as both works of art and ancient relics.The interior of the Winter Egg features a meticulously crafted miniature replica of the Imperial Yacht Standart,and a delicate basket containing anemones.
