He Winter Egg created by the Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé in 1913 on behalf of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, was sold today at an auction in London for 22.89 million pounds sterling, equivalent to 26 million euros.
The exquisite jewel created for the Romanov dynasty by the jeweler was commissioned by the last Tsar of Russia (overthrown in 1918) as a gift for his mother Dagmar of Denmark and today found a new owner after being auctioned in the so-called ‘classic week’ of the Christie’s house.
This series of Easter eggs stood as a symbol of the legacy and history of the Romanovs, the prestige of the tsar and the splendor of his court.
At the same time, they turned the famous Russian jewelry house, then under the direction of Peter Carl Fabergé, into a legend. Is considered the last great series of commissioned art objects.
It is the most extraordinary piece in an auction dedicated to Fabergé, belonging to one of the most important private collections in the last two decades.
Margo Oganesian, director of the Fabergé and Russian works of art department at Christie’s, assured El Cultural: “This is the third time that Christie’s has been entrusted with the sale of the exquisite winter egg by Faberge. “With only six other Imperial Easter eggs in private collections, this is an extraordinary opportunity for collectors to acquire one of Fabergé’s finest creations.”
The Fabergé auction comprises almost 50 lots from the same collection including pieces of precious stones, animals, art objects and furniture, with values between £2,000 and £2 million.
From the imperial series of Fabergé eggs, some missing, forty-three are preservedmost in major museums around the world, some owned by the Kremlin, and only seven (including Winter’s Egg) remain in private hands, in collections such as those of the King of England or Prince Albert of Monaco.
The Fabergé market remains very strong around the world, but only on rare occasions have eggs from this series come up for auction. The last one to be auctioned was the Rothschild Egg in 2007, also at Christie’s London. It fetched £8.9 million, the current world record for a Fabergé work.
He winter eggwhich was believed lost for almost two decades (between 1975 and 1994), also broke the world record twice: when it was rediscovered and auctioned by Christie’s in 1994, and again in 2002.
Oganesian explained: “Imperial Easter eggs are widely regarded as some of the finest examples of decorative art in the world. Their ingenuity, impeccable design, and unparalleled craftsmanship set them apart from all other works of their era.”
“Today, each egg is known by a specific name, but these names were not given by Fabergé,” adds the expert. “They emerged gradually during the 20th century, assigned by scholars, dealers and auction houses for easy reference. Originally, Fabergé invoices only contained descriptions, sometimes very detailed, as in the case of the Winter Egg, which specified the number of diamonds and materials used.”
The Winter Egg, the most extraordinary piece at the time of its creation, in 1913, was the most expensive object ever produced by Fabergé.
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