HISTORY of the FABERGE Egg
HISTORY:
Beverley’s eggs are mostly in the ‘Faberge’ style.
The decorative art form as we know it was first made famous in 1884 by Frenchman, Peter Carl Faberge, a Master Jeweller to the Czar of Russia Alexander III, when he was commissioned by the Czar to make an Easter gift for his wife the Czarina Maria Feodorovna. The piece was in the form of an egg.
FIRST IMPERAL EGG - 64mm/ 2.1/2 in.; Yolk: 40mm/1/916in.; Hen: 35mm./1.3/8in.
A simple white enamelled egg, concealing a gold yolk, which opened to reveal a nest of chased yellow-gold straw in which sat a delicately modelled, ruby-eyed gold hen. When the beak was lifted the hinge in the tail feathers allows the hen to open horizontally. Originally contained within, was a diamond replica of the Imperial Crown which concealed a tiny ruby pendant. The present whereabouts of these two small surprises is unknown.
The Czarina was so thrilled with the gift that the ‘Faberge Egg’ became an annual commission. This being the First Imperial Egg - Easter 1895 from Faberge. What made these treasures so stunning was the so-called surprise inside each one. Thereafter it became a tradition that Peter Carl Faberge delivered the Easter egg present from the Czar, to the Empress, himself, thus showing how close Faberge was to the Imperial family.
The white enamel egg stood 64mm/ 2.1/2 in.; Yolk: 40mm/1/916in.; Hen: 35mm./1.3/8in. This egg is now in the Forbes Collection, New York.
After the death of Czar Alexander III in 1894, his son Czar Nicholas II continued the tradition, also commissioning one for his wife, Alexandra. Two eggs were then made each year by the House of Faberge until 1917, the year of the Russian Revolution, when Peter Carl fled back to France. Russian Revolution - August 25, 1917
10 Easter eggs were given to Czarina Maria, formerly Princess Dagmar of Denmark, by Czar Alexander III, prior to his death.
From 1895 until 1916 each Empress received 22 eggs. It is not known if Easter eggs were given in 1917, making a total of 54 eggs or 56 if eggs for 1917 are included.
Of the 47 that are known to exist, 10 are kept at the Kremlin in Moscow; 11 in the Forbes Collection, New York; 16 in American collections and 8 in private European collections. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has ‘The Colonnade Clock Egg’ (1905) and the ‘Mosaic Egg’ (1914) (included in the count of European collections). Location of the other 2 is unknown; they are only recorded in photographs.
Eggshell Artistry Gallery
E: bevaln@live.com.au
Mob: 0418 403 671
Fifteenth Anniversary Egg
FIFTEENTH ANNIVERSARY EGG - 132mm. x 160mm. (5.1/8in. x 6.1/4 in.)
Made to commemorate the anniversary of the Czar’s accession, in1911.
The gold shell of the egg is chased and enameled with a trellis of green laurel set with rose diamond ties at the intersections. It is divided into 18 panels in 3 tiers each set with scenes from the life of Nicholas II and portraits of him and his family, painted by Vassily Zuiev, framed behind crystals.
The portraits of the Czar, Czarina, their four daughters and their son are framed in rose diamonds on panels of translucent pale pinkish-blue enamel
Children: - names and date of birth: Olga (1895), Tatiana (1897), Maria (1899), Anastasia (1901) and Alexis (1904).
The Forbes Collection currently holds this egg in their collection.
The Royal Collection at Sandringham of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hold the greatest number of Faberge pieces in the world, but only two eggs.
Made to commemorate the anniversary of the Czar’s accession, in1911.
The gold shell of the egg is chased and enameled with a trellis of green laurel set with rose diamond ties at the intersections. It is divided into 18 panels in 3 tiers each set with scenes from the life of Nicholas II and portraits of him and his family, painted by Vassily Zuiev, framed behind crystals.
The portraits of the Czar, Czarina, their four daughters and their son are framed in rose diamonds on panels of translucent pale pinkish-blue enamel
Children: - names and date of birth: Olga (1895), Tatiana (1897), Maria (1899), Anastasia (1901) and Alexis (1904).
The Forbes Collection currently holds this egg in their collection.
The Royal Collection at Sandringham of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II hold the greatest number of Faberge pieces in the world, but only two eggs.
15th Anniversary EggDepicting the Czar, Czarina, their children and their summer residences.
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Beverley's versionI made this egg for my mother's 90th birthday in 2001. It depicts my mother, father, brother, sister and our children. It has my parents birth years on opposite corresponding sides.
My mother will turn 100 years - on July 11, 2011. Sadly, my mum passed away April 10, 2012 - one day off 100 years and 9 months. She had a wonderful life, still looking after herself until the end, with all her faculties. She had a fall, then a stroke. |
Eggshell Artistry Gallery
E: bevaln@live.com.au
Mob: 0418 403 671
E: bevaln@live.com.au
Mob: 0418 403 671