Quick Read
- A rare Fabergé Winter Egg sold for $30.2 million at Christie’s London in 2019, setting a new auction record.
- The egg was created for Russia’s imperial family and features 4,000 diamonds and anemones carved from quartz.
- Only 50 imperial Fabergé eggs were made; seven are lost and seven remain in private hands.
- The Winter Egg was designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, inspired by ice crystals on her workshop window.
- Christie’s called the egg ‘the Mona Lisa of the decorative arts’.
Fabergé Egg: An Imperial Marvel Sets New Auction Benchmark
On a brisk London evening in 2019, Christie’s auction house became the stage for a spectacle that would rewrite the history of decorative arts. The rare Fabergé Winter Egg, crafted in the early 20th century for Russia’s imperial family, fetched an astonishing £22.9 million—about $30.2 million—making headlines as the most expensive Fabergé egg ever sold at auction. For those who follow the art world’s most coveted treasures, this sale wasn’t just another record. It was a moment that reignited fascination with the artistry and intrigue behind these legendary objets d’art.
The Winter Egg: A Story Etched in Crystal and Diamonds
Known among collectors and historians as the ‘Mona Lisa of the decorative arts,’ the Winter Egg stands apart for its ethereal design and storied provenance. Commissioned for Russia’s imperial family, it is one of only 50 imperial eggs produced by the House of Fabergé between 1885 and the Russian Revolution of 1917. These eggs weren’t mere ornaments—they were tokens of imperial opulence, each tailored to reflect the tastes and aspirations of the Romanovs.
The Winter Egg’s origins are as poetic as its execution. Alma Theresia Pihl, one of the few women working in Fabergé’s St Petersburg workshop, conceived the design after observing ice crystals on her windowpane. Her uncle, Albert Holmström, the chief jeweler, brought her vision to life. The result? A crystal shell adorned with 4,000 diamonds, opening to reveal delicate anemones carved from white quartz. According to The Art Newspaper, Pihl’s inspiration came directly from the Russian winter—a season both harsh and beautiful, much like the egg itself.
Imperial Legacy: Fabergé Eggs and Their Mystique
Fabergé’s imperial eggs have always occupied a unique place in the world of decorative arts. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail, each egg was a symbol of prestige and personal sentiment. The Winter Egg’s sale was the centerpiece of Christie’s “The Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection,” which saw 48 lots bring in a total of £27.8 million (about $37.1 million). The attention lavished on these eggs is not just about their value; it’s about the stories embedded in their creation, loss, and rediscovery.
Of the original 50 imperial eggs, seven are believed lost, while another seven remain in private hands—elusive, sought-after, and rarely seen in public. Institutions around the world compete to acquire these treasures, recognizing their place at the intersection of history, art, and luxury. Christie’s Russian art department chief, Margo Oganesian, described the Winter Egg as “really hard to comprehend how Fabergé created it”—a sentiment shared by many who gaze upon its icy brilliance.
A Journey Through Time: Rediscoveries and Record Sales
The Winter Egg itself has a history as dramatic as its appearance. Long thought to be lost, it resurfaced at Christie’s in Geneva in 1994, setting a then-record price. Eight years later, it was sold again at Christie’s in New York for $9.6 million. Its most recent sale, in 2019, shattered previous benchmarks, including the £8.9 million ($11.9 million) paid for another Fabergé egg by the Rothschild banking family in 2007.
Every time a Fabergé egg comes to market, it draws global attention—not just from seasoned collectors, but from anyone captivated by the allure of imperial Russia. These eggs have become synonymous with the glamour and tragedy of the Romanov era, objects that survived upheaval, exile, and revolution to become emblems of endurance and artistic achievement.
The Enduring Appeal: Craftsmanship, Rarity, and Cultural Symbolism
Why does a Fabergé egg command such extraordinary prices and interest? The answer lies in a confluence of factors. First, there’s the craftsmanship—an almost obsessive attention to detail that borders on the miraculous. Each egg is an intricate puzzle, requiring the collaboration of designers, jewelers, and artisans. Second, there’s rarity. With so few surviving eggs, each sale becomes a historic event, a chance to own a fragment of a vanished world.
Finally, there’s symbolism. Fabergé eggs are more than luxury objects; they’re cultural touchstones. They evoke a time when art was inseparable from politics, when gifts carried messages of affection, power, and destiny. Their survival is a testament to resilience, both of the objects themselves and of the human stories entwined with them.
As art markets evolve and tastes shift, the Fabergé egg remains a constant—its beauty undiminished, its legend ever-growing. For collectors and historians alike, the Winter Egg’s record sale in 2019 is a reminder that some masterpieces transcend their era, inviting us to look closer, wonder deeper, and remember longer.
The latest auction of the Fabergé Winter Egg not only set a new record but also underscored the enduring magnetism of imperial Russian craftsmanship. The egg’s journey—from private workshop to global spotlight—illustrates how art can bridge centuries and cultures, turning personal inspiration into collective fascination. Its story stands as proof that the most extraordinary objects are those that combine technical brilliance with human imagination.