Resurrection (Fabergé egg)
Encyclopedia
The Resurrection
egg is a jewelled
enameled
and rock crystal
Easter egg
made by Michael Perchin
under the supervision of the Russia
n jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé
before 1899 .
Long considered a Fabergé egg, it does not bear an inventory number. It has been postulated that the Resurrection egg is the missing surprise from the Renaissance egg
.
The egg depicts Jesus
rising from his tomb
, and is the only Fabergé egg to explicitly reference the Easter
story
, and assay
marks
indicating that it was made in St. Petersburg before 1899 .
Long considered a Fabergé Imperial egg, and recognised as such by leading Fabergé experts, it does not bear an inventory number. It has been postulated by Christopher Forbes
that the Resurrection egg is the missing surprise from the Renaissance egg
, as it perfectly fits the curvature of the Renaissance Egg's shell, has a similar decoration in enamel on the base, and features a pearl, which is mentioned on the invoice for the Renaissance egg but not present on that egg.
The Resurrection egg was bought in 1922 by a London art dealer, and sold at Christie's
, in 1934. Owned by Lord Grantchester, it was bought from his estate by Manhattan
art dealers A La Vieille Russie
. In 1978 A La Vieille Russie negotiated a private sale of the Resurrection egg and the Hen egg
to the Forbes Collection.
In 2004 it was sold as part of Forbes Collection to Viktor Vekselberg
. Vekselberg purchased some nine Imperial eggs, as part of the collection, for almost $100 million
Resurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
egg is a jewelled
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
enameled
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
and rock crystal
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
Easter egg
Easter egg
Easter eggs are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime.The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans...
made by Michael Perchin
Michael Perchin
Michael Evlampievich Perchin was born in Petrozavodsk and died in St. Petersburg. He was one of the most important Fabergé workmasters next to Henrik Wigström. Perchin became the leading workmaster in the House of Fabergé in 1886 and supervised production of the eggs until his death in 1903...
under the supervision of the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé
Peter Carl Fabergé
Peter Karl Fabergé also known as Karl Gustavovich Fabergé in Russia was a Russian jeweller of Baltic German-Danish and French origin, best known for the famous Fabergé eggs, made in the style of genuine Easter eggs, but using precious metals and gemstones rather than more mundane materials.-Early...
before 1899 .
Long considered a Fabergé egg, it does not bear an inventory number. It has been postulated that the Resurrection egg is the missing surprise from the Renaissance egg
Renaissance (Fabergé egg)
The Renaissance egg is a jewelled agate Easter egg made by Michael Perchin under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1894...
.
The egg depicts Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
rising from his tomb
Resurrection appearances of Jesus
The major Resurrection appearances of Jesus in the Canonical gospels are reported to have occurred after his death, burial and resurrection, but prior to his Ascension. Among these primary sources, most scholars believe First Corinthians was written first, authored by Paul of Tarsus along with...
, and is the only Fabergé egg to explicitly reference the Easter
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
story
History
The Resurrection egg bears the mark of Michael PerchinMichael Perchin
Michael Evlampievich Perchin was born in Petrozavodsk and died in St. Petersburg. He was one of the most important Fabergé workmasters next to Henrik Wigström. Perchin became the leading workmaster in the House of Fabergé in 1886 and supervised production of the eggs until his death in 1903...
, and assay
Assay
An assay is a procedure in molecular biology for testing or measuring the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism or organic sample. A quantitative assay may also measure the amount of a substance in a sample. Bioassays and immunoassays are among the many varieties of specialized...
marks
Hallmark
A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals — platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium...
indicating that it was made in St. Petersburg before 1899 .
Long considered a Fabergé Imperial egg, and recognised as such by leading Fabergé experts, it does not bear an inventory number. It has been postulated by Christopher Forbes
Christopher Forbes
Christopher "Kip" Forbes is Vice Chairman of the Forbes Publishing company. He attended St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, and Princeton University....
that the Resurrection egg is the missing surprise from the Renaissance egg
Renaissance (Fabergé egg)
The Renaissance egg is a jewelled agate Easter egg made by Michael Perchin under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1894...
, as it perfectly fits the curvature of the Renaissance Egg's shell, has a similar decoration in enamel on the base, and features a pearl, which is mentioned on the invoice for the Renaissance egg but not present on that egg.
The Resurrection egg was bought in 1922 by a London art dealer, and sold at Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
, in 1934. Owned by Lord Grantchester, it was bought from his estate by Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
art dealers A La Vieille Russie
A La Vieille Russie
- Overview :, a New York antiques gallery specializing in antique jewelry and Russian works of art, is world-renowned for its collection of artworks by Carl Fabergé, created for members of the Romanov court and other wealthy patrons in late 19th century Russia...
. In 1978 A La Vieille Russie negotiated a private sale of the Resurrection egg and the Hen egg
Hen (Fabergé egg)
The First Hen Egg or Jeweled Hen Egg is a Tsar Imperial Fabergé egg, the first in a series of fifty-two jeweled eggs made under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian Imperial family. It was made and delivered to Tsar Alexander III of Russia in 1885...
to the Forbes Collection.
In 2004 it was sold as part of Forbes Collection to Viktor Vekselberg
Viktor Vekselberg
Viktor Felixovich Vekselberg is the owner and president of Renova Group, a large Russian conglomerate.-Business empire:Victor Vekselberg was born in 1957 in Western Ukraine. He graduated from the Moscow Transportation Engineering Institute in 1979...
. Vekselberg purchased some nine Imperial eggs, as part of the collection, for almost $100 million
External links
- A detailed article on the 'Resurrection' egg, from treasuresofimperialrussia.com