Easter surprise for Maria Feodorovna. Faberge eggs: a gift and a work of art

Faberge eggs are some of the most expensive jewelry in the world. Truly a royal gift. The first Faberge egg appeared in 1885. It was ordered by Russian Emperor Alexander III as an Easter gift for his wife Maria Feodorovna. And Carl Faberge and the jewelers of his company took on the creation of this gift.

Carl Faberge was born in Russia, in St. Petersburg. He was born in 1846 in the family of a German from Estonia, Gustav Faberge, and the daughter of a Danish artist, Charlotte Jungstedt. Back in 1842, his father founded a jewelry company in St. Petersburg. Karl also studied jewelry craftsmanship from a young age and at the age of 24 headed his father’s company. And in 1882, at the All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition in Moscow, the products of his company attracted the attention of Emperor Alexander III, and the Faberge company began to receive orders from the imperial court. The products of the Faberge company were also famous in Europe, so in Paris Carl Faberge was awarded the title of “Master of the Paris Guild of Jewelers”. After the revolution, Fabergé closed his company and emigrated to Lausanne, Switzerland, where he died in 1920. His sons founded the Faberge & Co. firm in Paris in 1923.

Carl Faberge produced a variety of eggs, but it was his jewelry eggs, known throughout the world as Faberge eggs, that brought him fame.

By the way, the first egg he created in 1885 had its own prototype. In the 18th century, jewelry Easter eggs were made with a surprise chicken inside, and the chicken itself contained a crown, and the crown contained a ring. This is exactly what the first egg, created by Faberge in 1885, was. An egg presented to Empress Maria Feodorovna, who, like Carl Fabergé himself, had Danish roots. After all, one of the three such eggs preserved from the 18th century is precisely kept in the Danish castle of Rosenborg (Copenhagen).

Later, Faberge produced a number of Easter eggs. There are only 71 Faberge eggs in the world. And 54 of them were imperial. Alexander III became the founder of the tradition; at Easter he gave his wife Maria Feodorovna Faberge eggs; after his death, this tradition was continued by his son, Nicholas II. He gave Faberge Easter eggs to both his wife and his mother, Maria Feodorovna.

There are also about 15 eggs made by Faberge for private individuals. And if the imperial eggs were new each time, each time with a new surprise inside, and the company began making them a year before the next Easter, then Faberge eggs for private individuals often copy the themes of the imperial ones. There are 7 known eggs belonging to the Kelch family. Entrepreneur and gold miner Alexander Kelkh, like the emperor, gave his wife Faberge eggs for Easter. The first egg of Kelkh, which is called “Chicken Kelkh”, copies the plot of the first imperial “Chicken” egg. But soon the Kelch couple separated, and their financial situation worsened. They were no longer interested in Faberge eggs. Also, non-imperial Faberge eggs were made to order for Felix Yusupov (a representative of a fairly wealthy noble family, the future killer of Rasputin, so valued by Empress Alexandra Feodorovna), nephew of Alfred Nobel, the Rothschilds, the Duchess of Marlborough.

Faberge's imperial eggs had quite a variety of subjects: they could be clock eggs or eggs with various figures inside; the eggs themselves could also contain various miniatures as a surprise, for example, there was an “Egg with rotating miniatures”, inside of which there were 12 miniatures with images of places memorable for the emperor. The most expensive of the Faberge eggs paid for by the Romanovs is the “Winter” egg. It was made of crystal and opals. The surprise of this egg was a basket of anemones.

Easter eggs of Carl Faberge after the October revolution.

During the years of the revolution, some of the Faberge eggs were lost, most were transported to the Kremlin, where they were kept until 1930. In 1930, many items that undoubtedly constituted Russian cultural heritage began to be sold off due to a lack of financial resources from the Soviet regime. Many Faberge eggs were also sold. Many of them were purchased by Armand Hammer and Emmanuel Snowman Wartzky. Forbes was also an ardent collector of Faberge eggs. His collection consisted of 11 imperial and 4 private Faberge eggs. In 2004, this collection was put up for auction, before which it was completely purchased by the Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. So some of the Faberge eggs returned to their homeland.

Today in Russia, Faberge eggs can be seen in the Armory Chamber (10 pieces), the Vekselberg collection, the Russian National Museum and the Mineralogical Museum. A.E. Fersman RAS.

Many of the Fabergé eggs are in various collections in the United States. Several pieces of these miniature treasures are also present in the collections of the English Queen Elizabeth II, Albert.

Each of the Faberge eggs has its own destiny, its own history. Only one of the Faberge Georgievskoe eggs was able to leave revolutionary Russia along with its rightful owner, Empress Maria Feodorovna, mother of the last Russian Emperor Nicholas II.

The “St. George” egg was created in 1915, after Nicholas II received the “Order of St. George” award. Previously, his son Alexey was awarded this award for his visits to the front line. Nicholas II ordered this egg especially for his mother. His portrait was a surprise. Maria Fedorovna warmly thanked her son for the gift and wrote:
“I kiss you three times and thank you with all my heart for your sweet card and lovely egg with miniatures, the kind Faberge himself brought it. Amazingly beautiful. It's very sad not to be together. From the bottom of my heart I wish you, my dear dear Niki, all the best and all the bright things and success in everything. Your dearly loving old Mother."

Today there is a whole website for the Vekselberg collection (https://www.treasuresofimperialrussia.com/r_explore.html), where you can learn in detail about the history of each of the Faberge eggs in this collection.

It cannot be said that all the eggs were created by Carl Faberge himself. After all, as soon as a new order arrived, a whole team of the company’s jewelers immediately began working on it. The names of many of them have been preserved. These are August Holstrom, Henrik Wigstrom, and Eric Collin. And Mikhail Perkhin, who worked on the creation of Kelch eggs.

But in addition to genuine Faberge eggs, numerous fakes are also known, which are sometimes in no way inferior to the originals in their elegance. So in the mid-1990s, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA) hosted an entire exhibition dedicated to fake Faberge eggs.

Since 1937, the Faberge brand has not belonged to the descendants of Carl Faberge himself, who sold it to the American Samuel Rubin. In the 20th century, a wide variety of products were produced under this brand: from perfumes and clothing to films. And in 2009, the Faberge jewelry house appeared, which belongs to South African businessman Brian Gilbertson. In 2007, he acquired all rights to the brand. In 2011, Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg tried to buy out the Faberge brand, but he failed.

This is the story of the most famous, most luxurious, most fabulous and most expensive Easter eggs.

And all thanks to the precious eggs that were produced by this jewelry house for the Russian imperial family. Today, these works of art are extremely rare, shrouded in mystery, and their value reaches tens of millions of dollars.

This review contains little-known facts about the world's most famous eggs.

1. Imperial Easter traditions

An egg given by Alexander III to his wife in 1885.

The tradition of painting Easter eggs has existed in Russia since ancient times. The imperial family also followed it. But in 1885, Tsar Alexander III, without suspecting it, somewhat transformed this tradition.

Deciding to surprise his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, he gave her a special gift - an egg with a secret. It was a precious egg, covered in white enamel, with a gold stripe running across it. It opened, and inside was a golden “yolk”.

In it, in turn, sat a golden hen, inside of which there was a ruby ​​crown and pendant. The Empress was delighted with such a gift, and Alexander III presented his wife with a new precious egg every Easter.

This tradition was continued by the son of Alexander III, Nicholas II, who gave precious eggs to his mother and wife during the Easter holidays.

2. The main rule is a surprise inside

Surprise inside.

The author of the Easter eggs that Russian emperors ordered was the jewelry master Peter Carl Faberge. He was given complete creative freedom; he could create precious eggs on any theme. But there was still one rule: every egg should have a surprise.

Therefore, each Faberge egg contained a tiny miracle: a tiny diamond copy of the royal crown, a miniature ruby ​​pendant, a mechanical swan, an elephant, a gold miniature of the palace, 11 tiny portraits on an easel, a model of a ship, an exact working replica of the royal carriage and much more.

3. Peter Carl Faberge – Russian jeweler with European roots

Peter Carl Faberge is a Russian jeweler with European roots.

The famous jeweler was born in Russia in St. Petersburg on May 30, 1846. His father, Gustav Faberge, was from Pärnu (Estonia) and came from a German family, his mother, Charlotte Jungstedt, was the daughter of a Danish artist. In 1841

Faberge Sr. received the title of “Jewelry Master” and in 1842 founded a jewelry company in St. Petersburg on Bolshaya Morskaya Street at number 12.

The young man's talent was so bright and extraordinary that at the age of 24, in 1870, he was able to take over his father's company.

In 1882, the All-Russian Art and Industrial Exhibition was held in Moscow. It was there that Emperor Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna noticed the works of Peter Carl Fabergé.

So Faberge Jr. received the patronage of the royal family and the title of “Jeweler of His Imperial Majesty and Jeweler of the Imperial Hermitage.”

Faberge's products were also famous in Europe. Numerous royal and princely relatives of the Russian Imperial Family in Great Britain, Denmark, Greece, and Bulgaria received jewelry as a gift, valued it very much and passed it on to inheritance.

The revolution of 1917 forced Faberge to close the company. He emigrated to Switzerland, where he died in 1920.

4. The Bolsheviks, unwittingly, saved the Faberge eggs

The Bolsheviks, unwittingly, saved the Faberge eggs.

After the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks, trying to replenish the treasury of the “world's first communist state,” sold off Russian artistic treasures.

They plundered churches, sold paintings by old masters from the Hermitage Museum and took over the crowns, tiaras, necklaces and Faberge eggs that belonged to the Emperor's family.

In 1925, a catalog of valuables of the imperial court (crowns, wedding crowns, sceptres, orbs, tiaras, necklaces and other jewelry, including the famous Faberge eggs) was sent to all foreign representatives in the USSR.

Part of the Diamond Fund was sold to the English antiquarian Norman Weiss. In 1928, seven “low-value” Faberge eggs and 45 other items were removed from the Diamond Fund.

Peacock. Faberge egg.

However, it was thanks to this that the Faberge eggs were saved from being melted down. . Thus, one of Faberge's most incredible creations, the Peacock Egg, was preserved.

Inside the crystal and gold masterpiece was an enameled peacock. Moreover, this bird was mechanical - when it was removed from the golden branch, the peacock raised its tail like a real bird and could even walk.

5. The missing egg-toy bag

Egg travel bag.

In total, 50 precious eggs were made for the Russian imperial family. The fate of seven of them is unknown today; most likely, they are in private collections.

The fate of the travel bag egg, created in Faberge’s workshop in 1889, is also shrouded in mystery. The last time this egg was allegedly seen in a London store was in 1949.

According to rumors, it was sold to an unknown person for $1,250. Today the cost of Faberge eggs reaches $30 million.

6. One egg was purchased as scrap precious metal

One egg was purchased as scrap precious metal.

One of the lost imperial Easter eggs was found in a completely surprising way. An American bought a golden egg studded with precious stones for $14,000 for scrap and wanted to resell it at a better price.

But when there were no buyers, he decided to look for an outlandish souvenir on the Internet and was surprised to discover that it was the work of Faberge.

After examination, it was confirmed that this was one of the long-lost imperial Easter eggs. Instead of a $500 profit, the dealer made about $33 million by selling the egg to a private collector.

7. Queen Elizabeth II Owns Three Imperial Fabergé Eggs

Queen Elizabeth II owns three Imperial Fabergé eggs.

The British Royal Family's collection includes three Faberge imperial Easter eggs: Colonnade, Basket of Flowers and Mosaic.

Particularly noteworthy is the “Flower Basket”, the flowers in which look fresh and surprisingly realistic.

The British collection of Fabergé products is one of the largest in the world. In addition to the legendary eggs, it contains several hundred jewelry masterpieces: boxes, frames, animal figurines and personal jewelry of members of the Imperial Houses of Russia, Great Britain and Denmark.

Despite the size of the British collection, it is only a small part of the 200,000 pieces produced by the Fabergé jewelery house.

8. Eggs of the Kelkh family

Eggs of the Kelch family.

When the Kelch couple divorced, the entrepreneur's ex-wife took her Faberge collection with her to Paris. Six eggs eventually ended up in the United States.

Initially, the eggs were mistaken for items from the imperial collection, and only in 1979 it was established that all seven eggs belonged to the Kelch collection.

9. Return of Faberge

Return of Faberge.

After the revolution, the Faberge brand was resold several times. Unfortunately, the big name was used by a toilet cleaner, shampoo and cologne company.

The last company to acquire the brand, Pallinghurst Resources, decided to restore it to its former glory by relaunching jewelry in 2007.

Two years later, through the efforts of Peter Fabergé's granddaughters Sarah and Tatiana, the world saw new Faberge jewelry for the first time since 1917.

These products are clearly far from those that were made at the beginning of the 20th century, but, nevertheless, today you can buy jewelry from Faberge at a price of $8,000 - $600,000.

Peter Carl Gustavovich Faberge
(May 30, 1846, St. Petersburg - September 24, 1920, Lausanne - Switzerland)

Peter Carl Faberge was born in Russia in St. Petersburg, of Russian German origin. His father, Gustav Faberge, came from a German family and was originally from Estonia, and his mother, Charlotte Jungstedt, was the daughter of a Danish artist. In 1842, Fabergé Sr. founded a jewelry company in St. Petersburg. Peter Faberge traveled throughout Europe and initially studied in Dresden, and then began to master jewelry making from the Frankfurt master Joseph Friedmann. At the age of 24 in 1870, he took over his father's company. In 1900 in Paris, Faberge received the title of “Master of the Paris Guild of Jewelers”, and was also awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor. Over thirty-two years of work, Carl Faberge made fifty eggs for the royal family. Their exact number was determined from accounts in the Imperial Cabinet. Faberge sent another egg to the palace and at the same time a bill for payment. 42 eggs have survived to this day, the rest disappeared during the revolutionary years.

Faberge company

In 1842, Gustav Faberge opened his first jewelry store on Bolshaya Morskaya Street. The new store immediately became successful for two reasons: firstly, it was located in the fashionable center of St. Petersburg, and secondly, Russia was experiencing Gallomania at that time. In 1846, Gustav Fabergé and Charlotte Jungstedt had a son, Peter Carl Fabergé, better known as Carl Fabergé. Carl Faberge received his primary education at St. Anne's Gymnasium. It was a famous gymnasium for children of the lower strata of the nobility. In 1860, Gustav Faberge left his business in the hands of the managers and left with his family for Dresden, where young Karl continued his studies in Handelshull. At the age of 18, he went on a tour and saw many famous jewelers in France, Germany, England, visited galleries and the best museums in Europe. In 1872, Karl returned to St. Petersburg at the age of 26. For 10 years, the manager of the Faberge company was his mentor and teacher, but in 1882 he died and Karl took over the management of the company. In the same year, two important events occurred: he was awarded the title of master of jewelry, Agathon Faberge, the youngest of the brothers, joined the family business.

Good evening, dear readers of the Sprint-Answer website. Today on Channel One there is a TV game called "Who want to be a millionaire?" for October 7, 2017. Review of the game, as well as all the questions and answers in the game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for 10/07/2107 can be viewed by following the link above.

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What was inside the first Easter egg made by Carl Faberge?

The correct answer to the question about the first Easter egg, which was made by the famous Carl Faberge, is highlighted in blue and in bold font. In the meantime, some information from Wikipedia.

Faberge eggs are a series of jewelry from the Carl Faberge company. The series was created between 1885 and 1917. for the Russian imperial family and private buyers. In total, seventy-one copies are known to have been created, of which fifty-four are imperial.

Carl Faberge and his company's jewelers created the first egg in 1885. It was ordered by Emperor Alexander III as an Easter surprise for his wife Maria Feodorovna. The so-called “Chicken” is covered on the outside with white enamel, imitating a shell, and inside, in a “yolk” made of matte gold, there is a chicken made of colored gold. Inside the chicken, in turn, hidden is a small copy of the imperial crown made of gold with diamonds and a chain with a ruby ​​pendant.

• ring with emerald
• portrait of the empress
• wheat grain
• golden chicken

The correct answer to the game show question is: golden chicken.

Easter, Great Day, is the most significant and important holiday in the calendar of the Eastern and Western Slavs, while among the Southern Slavs it is the spring St. George's Day. Traditionally Easter celebrated for three days; however, Easter motifs are widely represented in the mythology and rituals of the entire Bright Week, the Holy Week preceding it (when preparations for the holiday were made) and the Radonitskaya week following it.

On September 24, 1920, the most famous Russian jeweler, Carl Faberge, died. Collectors all over the world highly value the jewelry he created, and for museums these exhibits are a source of special pride.

Armory Chamber, Moscow

This treasury museum of the Moscow Kremlin has many valuable exhibits, including ten Faberge eggs. This is the largest number of Faberge eggs in Russian museums. Each Faberge egg, as you know, has its own name and unique appearance. The oldest Faberge egg stored in the armory dates back to 1891 and is called “Memory of Azov”. Inside the jade egg there is a model of the frigate “Memory of Azov”, on which the royalty sailed to the Far East in 1890-1891. Another famous piece of jewelry is the clock egg in the form of a bouquet of lilies, created for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in 1899. One of the most interesting eggs in the armory's collection is an egg with an unusual surprise inside - a model train. This egg is called the Trans-Siberian Railway. The museum also has such interesting jewelry works as the openwork Clover egg, the largest of the eggs, the Kremlin, as well as the Alexander Palace, the Equestrian Monument to Alexander III, and the Yacht Standart. Of particular interest is an egg made for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, inside of which there is a globe with the outlines of the Russian Empire, and along the egg there are miniatures with portraits of the royal persons of the dynasty.

Cultural and Historical Foundation “Link of Times” by Viktor Vekselbeg, Moscow

Currently, the Vekselberg Foundation owns the world's largest collection of Faberge eggs. This man did the impossible: he acquired a collection of Faberge eggs in the USA and returned them to his homeland. The first exhibition “Faberge: Lost and Found” took place in the Kremlin in 2004; now the collection travels throughout the cities of Russia, giving millions of citizens the opportunity to touch the history and ancient jewelry art of Tsarist Russia. The oldest known Fabergé egg, the Hen, dated 1885, is also in this collection. “Renaissance”, “Egg with a Rosebud”, the most famous “Coronation” egg of 1897, “Lilies of the Valley”, “Cockerel”, “Bay Tree” - this is a far from complete list of works of jewelry stored in Vekselberg’s collection.

Virginia Museum of Art, Richmond, USA

This museum owns five Faberge eggs. The oldest of them is “Egg with Rotating Miniatures” from 1896. This rock crystal egg has 12 miniatures with places memorable for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The Pelican Egg consists of eight unfolding miniature plates depicting charities founded by the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The Peter the Great egg has a surprise inside in the form of a model of the Bronze Horseman. This egg was created in honor of the bicentenary of the founding of St. Petersburg. The museum has two more eggs - “Tsarevich” and “Red Cross with Portraits”, made by jewelers for various memorable dates of the Romanov family at the beginning of the 20th century.