Record-breaking sale of Crystal Fabergé egg to Russian royalty for $30.2 million

LONDON A highly rare Faberg egg, adorned with crystal and diamonds and originally created for Russias imperial family before the revolution, set a new record at auction on Tuesday, selling for 22.9 million ($30.2 million). Christies London described the Winter Egg, likened to the famous Mona Lisa, as one of only seven of these luxurious eggs still privately owned.

Standing 4 inches (10 centimeters) tall, the egg is crafted from intricately carved rock crystal, decorated with a delicate snowflake design in platinum and 4,500 miniature diamonds. Inside, it contains a tiny removable basket of quartz flowers encrusted with jewels, representing spring.

The final sale, including the buyers premium, exceeded the $18.5 million paid for another Faberg egg created for the Rothschild family in a 2007 Christies auction. Peter Carl Faberg and his workshop produced over 50 eggs for the Russian imperial family between 1885 and 1917, each featuring a unique design and a hidden surprise. Czar Alexander III initiated the tradition by gifting an egg to his wife every Easter, a practice continued by his successor, Nicholas II, who gave eggs to both his wife and mother.

The 1913 Winter Egg was commissioned by Nicholas II for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. It is one of only two eggs designed by Alma Pihl, with the other now in the British royal collection. The Romanov family governed Russia for 300 years until their overthrow in the 1917 revolution, with Nicholas II and his family executed in 1918.

Purchased by a London dealer for 450 when the financially struggling Soviet authorities sold off Russian art treasures in the 1920s, the egg changed ownership several times. It was considered lost for about 20 years until Christies auctioned it in 1994 for over 7 million Swiss francs ($5.6 million then), followed by a 2002 sale at $9.6 million. Each sale has established a record price for a Faberg piece.

Margo Oganesian, head of Christies Russian Art Department, described the egg as the Mona Lisa of decorative arts, highlighting its exceptional craftsmanship and design. Of the 43 imperial Faberg eggs still surviving, most are held in museums.

Author: Sophia Brooks