Art Faberge Eggs

 

Easter week has ended and this, I promise, is my very last ‘Egg’ blog of the season. Think I have egg-hausted the subject :-)

Information from; 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faberg%C3%A9_egg

A Fabergé egg is any one of the thousands of jeweled eggs made by the House of Fabergé from 1885 through 1917.

The majority of these were miniature ones that were popular gifts at Eastertide. They would be worn on a neck chain either singly or in groups.

The most famous eggs produced by the House were the larger ones made for Alexander III and Nicholas II of Russia. Of the 50 made, 42 have survived. A further two eggs were planned but not delivered, the Constellation and Karelian Birch eggs for 1918.

The eggs are made of precious metals or hard stones decorated with combinations of enamel and gem stones. The term "Fabergé egg" has become a synonym of luxury and the eggs are regarded as masterpieces of the jeweller's art.

 

The story began when Tsar Alexander III decided to give his wife the Empress Maria Fedorovna an Easter Egg in 1885, possibly to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their betrothal.

It is believed that the Tsar’s inspiration for the piece was an egg owned by the Empress’s aunt, Princess Wilhelmine Marie of Denmark, which had captivated Maria’s imagination in her childhood. Known as the Hen Egg, it is crafted from gold.

 Its opaque white enamelled ‘shell’ opens to reveal its first surprise, a matte yellow gold yolk. This in turn opens to reveal a multi-coloured gold hen, that also opens.

It contains a minute diamond replica of the Imperial Crown from which a small ruby pendant was suspended.

Unfortunately, these last two surprises have been lost.

Empress Maria was so delighted by this gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a ‘goldsmith by special appointment to the Imperial Crown’.

He commissioned another egg the following year. However, after that, Peter Carl Fabergé, who headed the House, was apparently given complete freedom for future Imperial Easter Eggs, as from this date their designs become more elaborate.

According to the Fabergé family tradition, not even the Czar knew what form they would take: the only stipulation was that each one should contain a surprise.

Following the death of Alexander III on November 1st 1894, his son presented a Fabergé egg to both his wife, the Empress Alexandra Fedorovna, and to his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna.

 The History of the Eggs


 

delete reply philsgal7759 wrote on Apr 11, '10 These have always intrigued me. Thanks for the wonderful blog on these beauties

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 11, '10 i just tell them not to be so hardboiled :)

delete reply starfishred wrote on Apr 11, '10 nemo4sun said we better knock this off people will think we are cracked :) LMAO

delete reply starfishred wrote on Apr 11, '10 oh these never bore me loretta they are wonderful thank you

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 10, '10 we better knock this off people will think we are cracked :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 10, '10 brendainmad said They were eggsactly what I wanted to see. Glad you enjoyed the videos Brenda, the one about the history is an eggserpt from a documentary and the music one is eggspecially eggspressive. :-)

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Apr 10, '10 BTW, have I mentioned I liked Billy Ray Cyrus's 'Eggy Breaky Heart'?

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Apr 10, '10 Loretta, because I watched these eggscellent videos on your page, youtube suggested more eggsciting videos for me. They were eggsactly what I wanted to see. LOL

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 10, '10 just take it over easy :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 10, '10 nemo4sun said the yokes on me that was going to be my next line, now my brain is totally scrambled. :-)

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 10, '10 the yokes on me :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 10, '10 brendainmad said No egg on your face, none at all thank you Brenda, I tackled this with my usual eggsuberance :-)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 10, '10 nemo4sun said ut i don't wanna egg you on thanks Nemo but I don't think I need any eggcouraging :-)

delete reply brendainmad wrote on Apr 10, '10 No egg on your face, Loretta! An interesting post as usual.

delete reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 10, '10 i'd tell you how impressed i am with this post but i don't wanna egg you on :)

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 9, '10 bennett1 said Rather cheeky of me. :-} Cheeky?? not at all :-)..............I've been looking at these for a couple of days now and I've chosen three favourites. I like the two at the top, the humming bird and the purple one with pearls but i also really like the one half way down the page which looks like green tiffany glass. can't chose between those three though

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Apr 9, '10 Rather cheeky of me. :-} I keep on looking at them all trying to pick my favorite.

edit delete reply forgetmenot525 wrote on Apr 9, '10 bennett1 said Eggsquisitely lovely!! Seriously I have seen some of these eggs in museums and **I WANT ONE!!** But they are eggspensive. thank you; eggcellent comment Bennett :-)

delete reply bennett1 wrote on Apr 9, '10 Eggsquisitely lovely!! Seriously I have seen some of these eggs in museums and **I WANT ONE!!** But they are eg