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By: Brenna McGrath

The Man Behind the Name


Peter Carl Faberge, otherwise known as , was born on May 30th, 1846 in St. Petersburg. In 1864, when he was 18, he departed from Russia to explore the world, traveling and working in multiple countries until he returned to Russia in 1872. In 1882, Faberge and his younger brother Agathon went to a Pan-Russian Exhibition in Moscow. One of the pieces the brothers decided to display was a replica of a Hermitage treasure. Alexander III, the Tsar at the time, declared he could not distinguish Faberges work from the original piece. Soon after, Faberge became the goldsmith and jeweler for the Russian Imperial Court and the first Russian Imperial Egg was created.

The Man Behind the Name


In 1885, Faberge was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III to create a simple matt white enamel egg for his wife. The Tsarina was so delighted with this Easter gift that it soon became a family tradition. Faberge was commissioned to design a new egg every year and each was to contain its own surprise. This tradition continued all the way until the Bolshevik Revolution, when the Imperial Family was killed. Once the Bolsheviks took control, Faberge and his family were forced to leave the country. The Bolsheviks seized the Faberge workshops and their creations, shutting down all production. In 1920, Faberge traveled to Switzerland, but he never full recovered from the shock of all that had happened. He died on September 24, 1920 at the age of 74.

The First Egg


The very first Imperial Egg, created in 1885, appeared to only be a simple enameled egg. Inside, however, was a golden yolk and within the yolk a golden hen. Once, inside the hen was also a diamond miniature of the royal crown and a tiny ruby egg, however both of these items are now lost to history. Once the Tsar gave Faberge free reign, the minimum requirements became very straightforward. Every egg was to be unique from all those before it and each must contain some sort of a surprise.

Statistics
There is a total of 65 known large Faberge eggs in existence; only 57 have survived to the present day. Of these 65, 50 are Imperial eggs and only 42 of those have survived. Of the eight missing, or lost, Imperial eggs, there are photographs that exist of only two: the 1903 Royal Danish egg and the 1909 Alexander III Commemorative egg.

Location of the Faberg Eggs Imperial: Viktor Vekselberg Collection (Russia) Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, Russia Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, Virginia Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville, Tennessee

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A Brief Overview of Them All 9

Royal Collection, London, UK


Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation, Switzerland Hillwood Museum, Washington D.C.

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Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland


Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio Albert II of Monaco Collection, Monte-Carlo, Monaco The State of Qatar Private Collections, USA

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Moscow Kremlin Egg 1906

15th Anniversary Egg 1911

Winter Egg 1913

Twelve Monogram Egg 1896

Peacock Egg 1908

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