In the years between 1883 and 1917, Peter Carl Fabergé, the official jeweller of the Russian Imperial Court, made a total of 69 jewelled Easter eggs for the Tsar, aristocracy and the industrial and financial elite. Now known as Fabergé eggs, they are world renowned as a symbol of overt luxury, but of the original 69, only 61 remain. So where are the other eggs? This is a mystery that has had art world in debate for years.
The Fabergé story begins shortly before Easter 1883, when Tsar Alexander III, father of the final Tsar Nicholas II, commissioned a jewelled egg as an Easter gift for his young wife Maria Flodorovna (born Dagmar of Denmark). Poor Maria had been sent away from her family to marry a complete stranger with whom she had to reign a foreign country, and like many other princesses in that situation, she had been feeling very homesick, to the point of depression.
María Fiodorovna, for whom the Tsar Alexander III commissioned the first Faberge Egg
To cheer Maria up, her husband commissioned the very first Fabergé egg. The egg was exquisite; its platinum shell opened up to reveal a yolk of gold, which in turn displayed a miniature golden hen proudly carrying the Russian Imperial crown. What made the gift even better was the fact that it was inspired by an existing collection from the Danish royal house, offering a sweet reminder of home for the young Tsarina. The present did its job, and Maria was so overjoyed by the egg that the Tsar decided it would become a tradition. Even after his death, his son Nicholas II continued to commission the gifts, each containing a unique and spectacular surprise.
Over the years, Fabergé oversaw the creation of a total of 52 imperial eggs which were gifted to Maria and her daughter-in-law. Of those, forty four are accounted for. Number 43, ‘Constellation Tsarevich’, and 44, ‘Birch Karelia’, were never fully completed as a result of the outbreak of the Russian Revolution and the execution of the Romanov family. However, the other 8 are missing, if they still exist at all.
First Fabergé egg. Inspired by a similar one belonging to the Danish royal house.
For 5 of the missing eggs, we know they exist due to photographs that have been taken with the Tsar’s family. Yet for the other 3 all we have to go on are the names appearing on contracts from the House of Fabergé. Nobody has any idea what they look like or any clue as to where they could be. All we are left with is a mystery that has been haunting art historians for decades.
Although there were no further eggs commissioned for the Romanov family, the House of Fabergé have continued to make luxury eggs for a century, and Catawiki regularly holds Fabergé Imperial Collection auctions for these notorious eggs, so you can find your own special Easter treat. You can also register to become a seller and put treasures from your own collection up for auction. Whether you have just one or a few items that you'd like to sell at auction or an entire store inventory, our experts such as Ana are happy to see what you have to offer and hopefully offer you a spot in our next auction.
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