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Faberge Renaissance Egg
 Date:
1894
Length: 5-1/4 inches
Markings: MP (Michael Perchin), FABERGE, crossed anchors, 56
Inspired by a jeweled casket in Dresden, Germany (in
the Grunes Gewolbe Museum), this piece is richly decorated with colorful
stones. The name for the egg comes from the source of its inspiration, as
well as the Renaissance-style enamelled foliate motifs.
The egg is made of milky chalcedony and trellised
with opaque white enamel gold bands. At each trellis intersection there is
a quatrefoil of diamonds with a ruby center. The egg is bisected by a red
enamelled gold band. Under the bisecting band and around the red enamelled
top, the Renaissance-style motifs, set with diamonds and cabochon rubies,
are placed. The top has the date, 1894, set in rose diamonds. The egg,
last of the eggs for Czar Alexander III, rests on a golden base with
enamelled red and green flowers and palmettes against a white background.
The had two chased gold lion masks, with loop handles in their mouths. The
surprise that came in this egg has been lost and is unknown.
Carved from a block of milky agate, this egg, mounted
horizontally on a gold enameled base, is fashioned as a jewel casket.
Individual fancy and lineal pattern in Renaissance effectiveness are
skilfully combined in the applied gold trelliswork pointed by diamonds and
rubies at the interstices; and in the play of emerald, ruby and lapis-blue
enamels in scroll and conventionalized design.
A scalloped tracery in diamonds on the cover encloses a ruby-enameled
medallion variously ornamented with repeated foliate motifs in colorful
enamels and the year in diamonds. Gold heraldic lions' heads at either end
terminate slender loop handles. The opening is secured by a tiny gold and
diamond latch, while engagingly designed inner rims are developed in
opaque white enameling and gold floral patterns.
 
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