Winter (Fabergé egg)
Encyclopedia
The 1913 Winter Egg is one of a series of fifty-two Russian jeweled Easter egg
s and was designed by Alma Pihl
, a designer who worked for Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé
. The tsar
Nicholas II had a standing order of two easter eggs every year, one for his mother, and one for his wife. The Winter-egg was an Easter gift for his mother, tsarina Maria Feodorovna. The price in 1913 was 24 700 rubels, the most expensive Easter egg ever made. The egg sold for US$9.6 million in an auction at Christie's
in New York City
in 2002.
, platinum
, and orthoclase
. The miniature surprise basket is studded with 1,378 diamonds and is made from platinum and gold
, while the flowers are made of white quartz and the leaves are made of demantoid
. The flowers lie in gold moss
. The egg is 102 millimeters high.
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...
s and was designed by Alma Pihl
Alma Pihl
Alma Theresia Pihl, Oskar Woldemar Pihl's daughter, the only female and one of the best known designer/workmaster who worked for Fabergé. As a self trained designer she started to work for Fabergé in 1909. She designed the famous Winter Easter Egg in 1913 and Mosaic Easter Egg, which now belongs to...
, a designer who worked for Russian jeweler 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...
. The tsar
Tsar
Tsar is a title used to designate certain European Slavic monarchs or supreme rulers. As a system of government in the Tsardom of Russia and Russian Empire, it is known as Tsarist autocracy, or Tsarism...
Nicholas II had a standing order of two easter eggs every year, one for his mother, and one for his wife. The Winter-egg was an Easter gift for his mother, tsarina Maria Feodorovna. The price in 1913 was 24 700 rubels, the most expensive Easter egg ever made. The egg sold for US$9.6 million in an auction 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 New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 2002.
Design
The exterior of the egg is studded with 1,660 diamonds, and made from quartzQuartz
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,...
, platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, and orthoclase
Orthoclase
Orthoclase is an important tectosilicate mineral which forms igneous rock. The name is from the Greek for "straight fracture," because its two cleavage planes are at right angles to each other. Alternate names are alkali feldspar and potassium feldspar...
. The miniature surprise basket is studded with 1,378 diamonds and is made from platinum and gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, while the flowers are made of white quartz and the leaves are made of demantoid
Demantoid
Demantoid is the green gemstone variety of the mineral andradite, a member of the garnet group of minerals. Andradite is a calcium- and iron-rich garnet. The chemical formula is Ca3Fe23 with chromium substitution as the cause of the demantoid green color...
. The flowers lie in gold moss
Moss
Mosses are small, soft plants that are typically 1–10 cm tall, though some species are much larger. They commonly grow close together in clumps or mats in damp or shady locations. They do not have flowers or seeds, and their simple leaves cover the thin wiry stems...
. The egg is 102 millimeters high.