| First Hen Egg Fabergé egg | |
|---|---|
| Year delivered | 1885 |
| Customer | Maria Feodorovna |
| Current owner | |
| Individual or institution | Viktor Vekselberg |
| Year of acquisition | 2004 |
| Design and materials | |
| Workmaster | Erik Kollin |
| Materials used | Gold, opaque white vitreous enamel, rubies, ruby pendant, diamonds |
| Height | 64 mm (2 1/2 in.) |
| Width | 35 mm (1 3/8 in.) |
| Surprise | The egg opens to reveal a gold yoke. Inside the yoke is a gold hen which opened to reveal a diamond and gold crown which contained a ruby pendant. The crown and pendant are now missing. |
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 crafted and delivered in 1885 to the then Tsar of Russia, Alexander III. The tsarina and tsar enjoyed the egg so much that Alexander III ordered a new egg from Fabergé for his wife each subsequent Easter. The egg is currently located in Russia as part of the Vekselberg Collection.
Design
editThe crafting of the first Imperial egg is attributed to Erik Kollin of Fabergé's shop. The egg is made of gold, completely coated with opaque white enamel to look like a real egg shell. A thin band of gold where the two halves of the shell are joined is visible around the middle of the egg. It is 64 mm (2 1/2 in.) in length and 35 mm (1 3/8 in.) in width[1]. The two halves of the outer shell fit together in a bayonet-style fitting which opens when twisted to reveal the surprise.
Surprise
editThe two halves open to reveal a gold yolk with a matte finish, containing a varicolored gold hen with ruby eyes. The hen is hinged on the tail feathers which allows it to also open up to reveal two additional surprises which are now missing. The first of these was a gold and diamond replica of the imperial crown. Suspended within the crown as the final surprise was a tiny ruby pendant. A necklace chain was included so the Tsarina could wear the pendant[2].
History of the egg
editEgg ordered by the Tsar
editIn the 19th century, Russian Orthodox Christians held Easter as the most important day of the year. Following a strict fast throughout all of Lent, Easter was a day of celebration of Christ's resurrection[3]. To celebrate this holiday, Tsar Alexander III's brother, the Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich ordered Peter Fabergé to create an Easter surprise for the Tsarina. Correspondence between the Tsar and his brother dated March 21, 1885 indicates the Grand Duke relayed the Tsar's desires and instructions for the gift to Fabergé rather than the Tsar himself supervising the crafting of the egg[4]. Amid terrorist attempts on the Imperial family's lives, the Tsar wanted to give his wife something that would take her mind off worries for the Easter of 1885. Fabergé created an egg inspired by one the Tsarina knew from her childhood as a princess of Denmark's royal court[5]. The egg, still in the Royal Danish Collection, is made of ivory instead of gold, has a ring instead of a pendant inside, and dates to the 18th century. Fabergé undoubtedly chose the design because the Tsarina would have recognized the design from her youth. The design delighted both the Tsar and Tsarina so much the Alexander III ordered one for the next Easter and granted Fabergé "permission...to bear the title Supplier to the Imperial Court with the right to bear the State Coat of Arms in his shop's sign"[6].
History after presentation to Tsarina
editThe Tsarina was impressed and delighted by the Easter gift from her husband. The egg was kept in the Anichkov Palace until the 1917 revolution. At that time the revolutionaries seized the First Hen Egg along with the rest of the imperial eggs and sent it to the Armory Palace of the Kremlin. A London dealer named either Derek or Frederick Berry purchased the egg from Russian officials around 1920, probably in either Berlin or Paris[7]. Christie's of London sold the egg as lot 55 of the Berry Collection for 85 pounds ($430) to Mr. R. Suenson-Taylor in 1934. Taylor was made Lord Grantchester in 1955, and the egg was the provenance of the Grantchester estate when both Lord and Lady Taylor died within months of one another in 1976. A La Vieille Russie of New York acquired the egg from the estate and sold it with the Resurrection Egg to Forbes Magazine Collection in 1978[8]. Viktor Vekselberg purchased the First Hen Egg along with eight others from Forbes before they were to be auctioned and returned the eggs to Moscow where they are now on display.
Notes
edit- ^ Lowes, Will (2001). Fabergé Eggs A Retrospective Encyclopedia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press Inc. p. 17. ISBN 0-8108-3946-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Lowes 2001 pg. 18
- ^ Faber, Toby (2008). Fabergé's Eggs The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire. New York, New York: Random House. p. 3. ISBN 978-1-4000-6559-9.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ Lowes 2001 pg. 18
- ^ Faber 2008 pg. 14-15
- ^ Faber 2008 pg.15-16, 18
- ^ Lowes 2001 pg. 19
- ^ Lowes 2001 pg. 19