In a dazzling display of wealth and taste, a diamond studded crystal Fabergé egg known as the “Winter Egg” commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II in 1913 sold in London this week for a record £22.9 million / $30.2 million. Auction house Christie's confirmed the sale and called the result a world auction record for a work by Fabergé.
The Winter Egg, just 8.2 cm high, is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It is carved from rock crystal, decorated with around 4,500 diamonds and platinum snowflake motifs, and designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, one of only two female workmasters employed by Fabergé in St Petersburg. Inside the egg is a tiny basket of white quartz flowers, a hidden detail as delicate as the exterior is extravagant.
Only about 50 Imperial eggs were ever created for the Romanov family between 1885 and 1917, and only a few remain in private hands. The Winter Egg’s sale resets expectations for Fabergé on the open market and reminds us that true luxury and historical legacy are among the most expensive things a collector can buy.
