What was inside. Faberge Easter eggs
Good evening, dear readers of the Sprint-Answer website. Today on the air of the First Channel there is a TV game called "Who want to be a millionaire?" for October 7, 2017... An overview of the game, as well as all the questions and answers in the game "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" for 07.10.2107 can be viewed by following the link above.
And in this article we will take a closer look at the thirteenth question for the players of the first part of today's TV game. The players refused to answer this question and decided to collect the money.
What was inside the first Easter egg made by Carl Faberge?
The correct answer to the question about the first Easter egg made by the famous Carl Faberge is highlighted in blue and bold. In the meantime, some information from Wikipedia.
Fabergé eggs are a series of jewelery by Carl Faberge. The series was created between 1885 and 1917. for the Russian imperial family and private buyers. In total, seventy-one copies are known to have been created, of which fifty-four are imperial.
Carl Faberge and his firm's jewelers created the first egg in 1885. It was ordered by Emperor Alexander III as an Easter surprise for his wife Maria Feodorovna. The so-called "Hen" is covered with white enamel on the outside, imitating a shell, and inside, in a "yolk" made of matte gold, is a chicken made of colored gold. Inside the chicken, in turn, are hidden a small copy of the imperial crown made of gold with diamonds and a chain with a ruby pendant.
- ring with emerald
- portrait of the empress
- wheat grain
- golden chicken
The correct answer to the TV game question is: the golden chicken.
Easter, Great Day is the most significant and important holiday in the calendar of the Eastern and Western Slavs, while among the Southern Slavs this is the spring St. George's Day. Traditionally Easter celebrated for three days; however, Easter motives are widely represented in the mythology and rituals of the entire Light, the Passionate preceding her (when preparations were made for the holiday) and the Radonitskaya weeks following her.
Luxurious Faberge eggs, adorned with precious stones and metals. We offer some interesting facts about how they appeared and how they are connected with Imperial Russia.
Fabergé eggs were made under the direction of Peter Carl Faberge between 1885 and 1917. The first is for Tsar Alexander III, who decided to give his wife Empress Maria Feodorovna an unusual Easter egg in 1885.
Alexander III with his wife and children
The first Faberge egg, 1885
The first egg is completely different from all the subsequent ones: the white enameled "shell" opens, inside is a shiny yellow-gold "yolk", inside which is a golden chicken, and in the chicken there is a miniature replica of the diamond imperial crown and a ruby pendant.
The Empress was so delighted with the gift that Alexander appointed Fabergé a "special purpose jeweler" and ordered another egg the following year. After that, Faberge received a team of craftsmen and complete freedom to design all future imperial Easter eggs, which over time became more and more complex. The only requirement was that each egg must be unique and contain a hidden surprise.
The famous Faberge eggs
Some of the most famous Faberge eggs are covered in a diamond mesh with precious stones. Inside the egg of the Gatchina Palace is a miniature gold copy of the palace in Gatchina, and many of the eggs depict small portraits of members of the royal family.
Egg "Lilies of the valley", 1898
After the death of Alexander III (November 1, 1894), his son Nicholas II continued every year to present the Faberge egg to his wife Alexandra Feodorovna and his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. Faberge was also commissioned to make similar eggs for a number of individuals, including the Duchess of Marlborough, the Rothschild and Yusupov family. In addition, the royal jeweler was asked to design 12 eggs for the industrialist Alexander Kelcz, although only 7 were completed.
Nicholas II with his wife and children
After the revolution of 1917, and then the death of the royal family, about 50 Faberge eggs remained.
The Fabergé family was forced to flee Russia after the nationalization of the House of Faberge, ending their luxury production.
The third Faberge egg, 1887
Egg "Memory of Azov", 1891
Where are the Faberge eggs now?
Currently, there are 43 "imperial" Faberge eggs, although some of them have lost "surprises".
Ten Imperial Easter eggs are now on display at the Kremlin Armory, while others belong to museums and private collections around the world.
In 1927, many eggs were sold to customers outside of Russia. The second largest collection of Faberge eggs belonged to Malcolm Forbes and was presented in New York. The collection, consisting of 9 eggs and about 180 other Faberge items, was supposed to be put up for auction at Sotheby's in February 2004. However, before the start of the auction, the entire collection was bought by Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg.
The Renaissance Egg, 1894.
Egg "Gatchina Palace", 1901
Egg "Peter the Great", 1903
Egg "Pink Trellis", 1907
Egg "Order of St. George", 1916
Faberge today
The Faberge brand has been sold to various companies over the years, but today it is owned by Faberge Limited, which produces egg-based jewelry. In 2015, the company announced the Faberge Pearl: the first imperial-style egg in 100 years. It was created in collaboration with the influential Qatari family, Al-Fardan, one of the world's most renowned pearl collectors.
Stunning design, 39 white pearls, 3305 diamonds and yellow gold details. Inside is a unique 12.17-carat gray pearl, handcrafted from the Persian Gulf. Estimated cost $ 2 million.
Today, Faberge eggs have become symbols of power and wealth.
Carl Faberge and the jewelers of his firm created the first egg in 1885... It was ordered by Tsar Alexander III like easter surprise for his wife Maria Fedorovna... The so-called "Chicken" egg is coated on the outside with a white, imitating shell, enamel, and inside, in a "yolk" made of matte gold, - a chicken made of colored gold. Inside the chicken, in turn, is hidden a small ruby crown.
The Empress was so fascinated by the gift that Faberge, who had turned into a court jeweler, was ordered to make an egg every year; it had to be unique and contain some kind of surprise, that was the only condition. The next emperor, Nicholas II, kept this tradition, giving each spring, in turn, two eggs - one to Maria Fedorovna, his widowed mother, and the second to Alexandra Fedorovna, the new empress.
1887 year. Golden egg with a clock. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. The real owner is unknown.
1888 Cherub and chariot. A two-wheeled chariot, driven by a cherub, on which an egg lies. The surprise in the egg is a cherub with a clock. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. The real owner is unknown.
1890 Danish palaces. Inside: 12 miniature paintings on mother-of-pearl - views of palaces in Denmark and Russia. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently located in the USA , Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
1891 year. Memory of Azov. Inside: frigate model"Memory of Azov", on which the sons of Mary were swimming at that moment.Made from jade, in the rococo style. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. He is currently in Moscow in the Armory.
1892 A stand in the form of cherubs holding an egg has been lost. Jade. Lost surprise - elephant (Danish coat of arms). The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently in the UK in a private collection.
1893 year. Caucasian egg. Inside - miniatures of the places of the Caucasus, where the Empress's son, Grand Duke Georgy Alexandrovich, lived. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently located in the USA , Matilda Geddings Gray Foundation, Metropolitan Museum of Art.
1894 year. Renaissance. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Viktor Vekselberg "Link of Times".
The year is 1895. Egg clock with a blue snake. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. It is currently in Monaco in the collection of Prince Albert.
The year is 1895. Egg with a rosebud. The first egg presented to Alexandra Fedorovna. Surprise - a rose (in memory of Darmstadt, the motherland of the Empress, who was proud of its flowers). Inside the flower is a crown, inside of which is a pendant (lost). Neoclassical style. Currently located in Moscow at the Foundation Viktor Vekselberg "Link of Times".
Portraits of Alexander III. The egg was ordered by the new emperor for his mother, who had been accustomed to such gifts for a decade. The item is decorated with the initials of Maria Feodorovna and the deceased Alexander III, which are repeated 6 times. The surprise is lost. Probably contained 6 portrait miniatures.
1896 Egg with spinning miniatures. Rock crystal egg with 12 miniatures - views of memorable places for Empress Alexandra Feodorovna. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. Currently located in the USA, Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
1897 Lavender egg with three miniatures. Lost. Presumably, the surprise inside is a heart with three portrait medallions, which has been preserved and is now in the Vekselberg collection.
1897 Coronation. A copy of the Imperial carriage during the coronation of Nicholas II. Jeweler - Mikhail Perkhin , Georg Stein. The most famous of the eggs. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. Currently located in Moscow at the Foundation Viktor Vekselberg "Link of Times".
1898 Pelican. The egg unfolds into 8 miniature plates with institutions founded by the Widow Empress Maria Feodorovna. The pelican is a symbol of charity. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna.Currently located in the USA, Richmond, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
1898 "Lilies of the valley". Pull-out three medallions with portraits of the emperor and his two eldest daughters Olga and Tatiana. Craftsman Mikhail Perkhin. Modern style. It is said to be the Empress's favorite egg. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. Vekselburg collection.
1899 year. "Pansies". From jade. Inside the "easel" with medallions in the form of opening hearts - a family tree with portraits. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. It is currently in a private collection in New Orleans.
1899 year. "Clock (Bouquet of lilies)".
1900 year. "Cockerel". Singing clock with a wind-up cock jumping out.The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. It is currently in the Vekselberg collection.
1900 year. "Trans-Siberian Railway". Surprise - train model. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. He is currently in the Armory.
1901 year. "Gatchina Palace". Image of the main suburban residenceof the dowager empress.The first owner is Maria Fedorovna.Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
1901 year. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. It is currently in the collection of Queen Elizabeth II.
1902 year. "Clover". The surprise was lost, presumably the portrait miniatures of the Grand Duchesses. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. He is currently in the Armory.
1903 year. "Peter the Great". Inside the model of the Bronze Horseman ... 4 miniatures on the sides with views of St. Petersburg. On the occasion of the bicentennial of the founding of the city. Rococo. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. It is currently housed in the Virginia Museum of Art, Richmond, USA.
1906 year. "Swan". The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently in the Foundation Edward and Maurice Sandoz, Lausanne, Switzerland.
1906 year. "Kremlin". The largest of the eggs. The Cathedral of the Assumption is depicted.The interior of the temple is visible through the windows. Clockwork clock. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna.
1907 year. "Cradle with garlands". The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently in a private collection of Robert M. Lee, USA.
1907 year. "Egg with trellises and a rose". The surprise was lost, presumably a medallion with a portrait of Tsarevich Alexei.The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. Currently in the Art GalleryWalters, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
1908 year. "Peacock". The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently located in Fondation Edouard and Maurice Sandoz, Lausanne, Switzerland.
1908 year. "Alexander Palace". Surprise - model of the Alexander Palacein Tsarskoe Selo. Miniatures - five portraits of daughters. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. He is currently in the Armory.
1909 year. "Commemorative Alexander III".Surprise - a miniature bust. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Whereabouts are unknown at this time.
1909 year. "Yacht" Shtandart ". Image of the yacht of Emperor Alexander III. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna.He is currently in the Armory.
1910 year. "Equestrian monument to Alexander III". The first owner is Maria Fedorovna.He is currently in the Armory.
1910 year. "Colonnade". Image of the temple of love. Cupid symbolizes Tsarevich Alexei.The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna.
1911 year. "Laurel tree". Also known as the Orange Tree. Inside is a clockwork bird.The first owner is Maria Fedorovna.It is currently in the Vekselberg collection.
1911 year. "15th Anniversary of the Reign". Miniatures - 7 portraits of family members and 9 scenes of the reign, including the coronation, the opening of museums and monuments, the uncovering of the relics of Seraphim of Sarov.The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna.Currently locatedin the Vekselberg collection.
1912 year. "Napoleonic Egg". To the 100th anniversary of the Patriotic War. Surprise - a screen with 6 miniatures depicting representatives of the regiments whose honorary colonel was the empress.The first owner is Maria Fedorovna.Currently located inArt Museum of New Orleans, USA.
1912 year. "Tsarevich". Surprise - a diamond double-headed eagle with a miniature portrait of Tsarevich Alexei.The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna.Currently located in USA.
1913 year. "Winter". Made of crystal, opals and diamonds. Surprise - a basket of snowdrops... Designer - Anna Pikhl. The most expensive of the eggs paid for by the Romanovs (24 thousand rubles). The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. It is currently in the collection of the Emir of Qatar.
1913 year. "300th Anniversary of the House of Romanov". Inside is a globe with the marked territory of the Russian Empire. In the egg - 18 miniatures with portraits of representatives of the reigning dynasty. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. He is currently in the Armory.
1914 year. "Mosaic". Surprise - cameo with children's profiles.The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna.It is currently in the Collection of Queen Elizabeth II.
1915 year. "Red Cross with Portraits". Surprise - 5 portraits of the tsar's two daughters, sister, wife and cousin in the uniform of nurses. The first owner is Maria Fedorovna. Currently locatedVirginia Museum of Art, Richmond, USA.
1915 year. "Red Cross Triptych". Unfolding egg. Portraits led. princesses Olga and Tatiana. Inside there is an image of the Descent into Hell and images of Saints Olga and Tatiana. The first owner is Alexandra Fedorovna. Currently located in the ArtMuseum of Cleveland, USA.
1916 year. "Order of St. George". In honor of the awarding of Tsarevich Alexei with a medal. Surprise - a portrait of Emperor Nicholas. The last egg that Maria Fedorovna received, and the only one that she managed to take away. It is currently in the Vekselberg collection.
1916 year. "Military Steel". Surprise - a miniature painting depicting the visit of the emperor and heir to the troops. The lack of luxury is the result of the fact that many of the Faberge craftsmen were called to the front, and the ban on jewelers from working with precious metals in times of crisis. The Steel Egg is the simplest of the imperial eggs, and the last one obtained by Empress Alexandra. He is currently in the Armory.
1917 year. "Birch". According to some versions, this particular egg was made in 1917. Made from Karelian birch. Surprise - a mechanical elephant made of gold and silver, decorated with roses and diamonds, and a golden key to it- are lost. First exhibited in 2001. Intended for Maria Feodorovna. Has been on permanent display at the Faberge Museum in Baden-Baden since May 2009.
1917 year. "Constellation". "The blue constellation of the prince." Not finished, not presented. There are no precious stones, only blue glass and a crystal stand. Engraving - the position of the stars in the sky at the time of the birth of Alexei. The watch and diamond stars have disappeared or were not made. Discovered in 2001 in the funds of the Mineralogical Museum, where, apparently, it ended up due to the insufficient value of raw materials. Intended for Alexandra Fedorovna.
Based on materials from Wikipedia.
Even today, Faberge is perhaps one of the most famous jewelry brands. And all thanks to the precious eggs that were produced by this jewelry house for the Russian imperial family. Today, these works of art are a huge rarity, shrouded in secrets, and their cost reaches tens of millions of dollars. In our review, little-known facts about the world's most famous eggs.
1. Imperial Easter traditions
The tradition of painting Easter eggs has existed in Russia since ancient times. The imperial family also followed it. But in 1885, Tsar Alexander III, without suspecting it himself, somewhat transformed this tradition. Deciding to surprise his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, he gave her a special gift - an egg with a secret. It was a precious egg, covered with white enamel, across which there was a golden stripe. It opened, and inside was a golden "yolk". In it, in turn, sat a golden chicken, inside which was a ruby crown and a pendant. The Empress was delighted with such a gift, and Alexander III presented his wife with a new precious egg every Easter. This tradition was continued by the son of Alexander III, Nicholas II, who gave precious eggs to his mother and wife on Easter holidays.
2. The main rule is a surprise inside
The author of the Easter eggs ordered by Russian emperors was the jeweler Peter Carl Faberge. He was given complete freedom of creativity, he could create precious eggs on any topic. But there was still one rule: each egg should be a surprise. Therefore, in every Faberge egg was hidden a tiny miracle: a tiny diamond replica of the royal crown, a miniature ruby pendant, a mechanical swan, an elephant, a golden miniature of a palace, 11 tiny portraits on an easel, a ship model, an exact working replica of a royal carriage, and much more.
4. Peter Carl Faberge - Russian jeweler with European roots
The famous jeweler was born in Russia in St. Petersburg on May 30, 1846. Father - Gustav Faberge was from Pärnu (Estonia) and came from a German family, mother - Charlotte Jungstedt, was the daughter of a Danish artist. In 1841, Faberge Sr. received the title of "Jewelry Master" and in 1842 founded a jewelry company in St. Petersburg on Bolshaya Morskaya Street at number 12. The talent of the young man was so bright and uncommon that at the age of 24 in 1870 he was able to take his father's firm into his own hands.
In 1882, the All-Russian Art and Industry Exhibition was held in Moscow. It was there that the Emperor Alexander III and his wife Maria Feodorovna noticed the works of Peter Carl Faberge. Thus, Faberge Jr. received the patronage of the royal family and the title of "jeweler of His Imperial Majesty and jeweler of the Imperial Hermitage".
Faberge products were also famous in Europe. Numerous royal and princely relatives of the Russian imperial family in Great Britain, Denmark, Greece, Bulgaria received jewelry as a gift, treasured it and passed it on by inheritance.
The 1917 revolution forced Faberge to close the firm. He emigrated to Switzerland, where he died in 1920.
5. The Bolsheviks, unwillingly, saved the Faberge eggs
After the October Revolution, the Bolsheviks, trying to replenish the treasury of "the world's first communist state", were selling Russian art treasures. They plundered churches, sold canvases by old masters from the Hermitage Museum and took on crowns, diadems, necklaces and Faberge eggs that belonged to the Emperor's family.
In 1925, the catalog of the values of the imperial court (crowns, wedding crowns, scepter, orb, diadems, necklaces and other jewelry, including the famous Faberge eggs) was sent to all foreign representatives in the USSR. Part of the Diamond Fund was sold to the English antiquarian Norman Weiss. In 1928, seven "low-value" Faberge eggs and 45 other items were withdrawn from the Diamond Fund.
However, it was thanks to this that the Faberge eggs were saved from being melted down. ... Thus, one of the most incredible works of Faberge, the Peacock egg, has been preserved. Inside the masterpiece of crystal and gold was an enameled peacock. Moreover, this bird was mechanical - when it was removed from the golden branch, the peacock raised its tail like a real bird and could even walk.
6. The missing egg bag
A total of 50 precious eggs were made for the Russian imperial family. The fate of seven of them is unknown today, most likely they are in private collections. The fate of the egg-case, created in the Faberge workshop in 1889, is also covered with mystery. This egg was last seen in a London store in 1949. According to rumors, it was sold to an unknown person for $ 1250. Today, the cost of Faberge eggs reaches $ 30 million.
7. One egg was purchased as precious metal scrap
One of the lost imperial Easter eggs was found in a completely surprising way. The American bought a golden egg, studded with precious stones, for $ 14,000 for scrap and wanted to resell it at a better price. But when there were no buyers, he decided to look for an outlandish souvenir on the Internet and was surprised to find that it was the work of Faberge. After examination, it was confirmed that this is one of the long-lost Imperial Easter eggs. Instead of $ 500 in profit, the dealer received about $ 33 million by selling the egg to a private collector.
8. Queen Elizabeth II owns three imperial Faberge eggs
The British royal family has three Imperial Faberge Easter eggs: Colonnade, Basket of Flowers and Mosaic. Special attention is drawn to the "Flower Basket", the flowers in which look fresh and surprisingly realistic.
9. Eggs of the Kelch family
When the Kelchs divorced, the entrepreneur's ex-wife took her Faberge collection with her to Paris. Six of the eggs ended up in the United States. Initially, the eggs were mistaken for items from the imperial collection, and it was not until 1979 that all seven eggs were found to be from the Kelch collection.
10. Return of Faberge
After the revolution, the Faberge brand was resold several times. Unfortunately, the big name was used by a toilet cleaner, shampoo and cologne company. The last company to acquire the brand, Pallinghurst Resources, decided in 2007 to restore it to its former glory by resuming jewelry production. Two years later, thanks to the efforts of Peter Faberge's granddaughters Sarah and Tatiana, the world saw new Faberge jewelry for the first time since 1917. These products are clearly far from those that were made at the beginning of the 20th century, but, no less, today you can buy jewelry from at a price of $ 8,000 - $ 600,000.
"Faberge eggs" is a common noun. This symbol of luxury, once sold by the Bolsheviks for a song, is now worth fabulous money. Private collectors pay millions for the right to own the famous treasures.
Origin
We can say that Carl Faberge is a hereditary jeweler. His father opened his own firm in St. Petersburg in 1842. The family came to Russia from Estonia, and the ancestors of the famous jeweler were the French Huguenots who fled to Germany from the unfriendly policy of the Sun King (Louis XIV). The workshop of Faberge-father did not do anything outstanding: brooches and diadems, generously strewn with precious stones, were in constant demand among representatives of wealthy merchants, but that was all.
Gustav tried his best to learn and provide for his first child, so Carl Faberge studied at the most prestigious educational institutions in Europe, studied jewelry in Frankfurt, and then returned to Russia and at the age of 24 headed the family business. Some researchers claim that he was extremely gifted in jewelry, others are sure that Karl Gustavovich's outstanding talent was purely administrative. But the manager, as they would say now, he was from God.
Takeoff
When an art and industrial exhibition was taking place in Moscow in 1882, Faberge was lucky: the company's products attracted the attention of his wife. From that moment on, the fruitful cooperation of the jeweler with the monarch's family began. I must say that the emperor gave away expensive jewelry not only in kilograms - in tons. It was required to present gifts during official visits to the rulers of other countries, and skillfully made sets, boxes, jewelry and various trinkets with the Faberge brand were suitable.
Soon the company gained international recognition as well, having won the exhibition in Nuremberg (1885). The judges chose items that copy the gold jewelry of the Scythians. In the same year, the first Faberge egg was made for the Romanovs' house.
Emperor's family
The Empress favored the jeweler since 1884: she was presented with a souvenir depicting a golden basket with pearl lilies of the valley. Maria Feodorovna found the thing charming, and we can say that thanks to this, Carl Faberge opened a new direction in the company's activities. Since then, various fantasies embodied in stone, gold or bone have become his trademark.
It must be said that the famous jeweler most of all appreciated the artistic side of the issue, and not all of his products were precious. At his factories, a variety of useful little things were made, such as umbrella pens, bells, or stone seals. According to some sources, the company even made Faberge silver sets were really famous throughout Russia (and not only).
Artistic side
The jeweler introduced the fashion to use not only precious stones and metals, but also simpler materials: crystal, bone, malachite, jasper, etc. At first, the staff of the company did not have enough qualified personnel to carry out all the ideas with which Carl Faberge was overflowing. The works had to be ordered from the Ural craftsmen. But gradually many talented jewelers, engravers and artists became full-time employees of the enterprise. Among them were masters of the highest class; Faberge allowed them to put their own stamp on their works.
The employees' working day was simply slave: they had to work from seven in the morning until eleven in the evening, and on Sundays - until one in the afternoon. Surprisingly, at the same time, Carl Faberge enjoyed the favor of his subordinates: they did not leave him, did not organize competing firms, although many had such an opportunity. It must be said that the famous jeweler paid a generous salary, did not abandon old and sick workers to their fate, and did not skimp on praise.
The firm had its own recognizable style. Another feature was a variety of enamels, which delight the eye with more than 120 shades, and the technique of the so-called guilloche enamel has never been reproduced.
Imperial Collection Eggs
The most widely known and posthumous fame of Carl Faberge was due to which his company produced every year for the imperial family. The tradition was started by chance. The Tsar asked the jeweler to make a surprise gift for Her Majesty Maria Feodorovna. Faberge was given freedom of choice - this is how the first egg of the imperial collection appeared.
The first specimen was a golden egg covered with white enamel on the outside. Inside it was a yolk and a colored chicken. She, in turn, was also with a secret: inside the bird was a tiny imperial crown and a ruby egg, which was later lost.
The idea was not original: similar souvenirs are kept among the exhibits of several European museums to this day (it is possible that Carl Faberge drew inspiration there).
The Empress was delighted with the gift. From that moment on, Faberge had to present a new masterpiece to the court every year, but with two conditions. First, the secret egg could only be made for the royal family. Secondly, it had to be absolutely original.
When Nicholas II ascended the throne, the tradition continued, but now Faberge created two souvenirs: for the wife of the monarch and for the dowager empress.
Bypassing the royal ban
Many years later it became known that the jeweler nevertheless circumvented the ban of his august patron: seven eggs, very similar to the originals from the royal treasury, turned out to be the property of the wife of a certain gold miner. What was to blame - the fabulous wealth of Mrs. Kelch or her lovely eyes - is not known for certain. In addition to them, there are at least eight more Faberge eggs made by private orders. The fact that this fact is not documented serves as an excellent cover for scammers.
Carl Faberge's house spent almost a year on the production of each masterpiece. The most talented artists were involved in creating the sketches, and the appearance of the future gift was kept in the strictest confidence.
In the process of making the royal surprise, Faberge did not pursue profit: in different years, Easter eggs cost the emperor different amounts and were made from different, sometimes completely inexpensive materials. So, in 1916, the monarch received a steel egg, for which four cartridges served as a stand.
The owners of the preserved treasures
They talk about 50, 52 and even 56 copies that Faberge made for the imperial family, but some of them were lost. The Bolsheviks, having come to power, not only robbed the imperial treasury, but also sold it for next to nothing. The whereabouts of only 46 of them are now known.
In 2013, a truly royal gift to the residents of St. Petersburg was made by the Russian oligarch Maxim Vekselberg. He bought the world's largest collection of eggs from the Forbes family and opened the Faberge Museum, where 9 out of 15 copies can be seen by anyone. Another 10 masterpieces are among the exhibits, 13 are in museums of the United States of America, 2 - in Switzerland and 13 more are scattered in private collections (several belong to
Another Faberge Museum is open in Baden-Baden, where eggs made in 1917 are displayed: from (intended for the Dowager Empress) and glass and crystal (for Alexandra Feodorovna). The authenticity of the latter raises some doubts, since the same was found in the storerooms of the Mineralogical Museum in Moscow, but the owner of the masterpiece, another Russian billionaire, Alexander Ivanov, assures that he is the owner of the original.
Long before the advent of Christianity, the ancient peoples considered the egg to be the prototype of the Universe - from it the world around man was born. The attitude to the egg as a symbol of birth was reflected in the beliefs and customs of the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans. And the Christian custom of giving each other Easter eggs is rooted in antiquity. Even in the days of paganism, this object had a tremendous symbolic meaning, it was associated with life itself. An ancient Latin proverb says "All life [comes] from an egg."
In ancient Jerusalem, the egg was a symbol of the rebirth of nature on the feast of the vernal equinox. And this philosophical image passed into the Christian tradition, in which the Easter egg symbolizes new life, its rebirth.
According to legend, the first Easter egg
Mary Magdalene presented to the Roman emperor Tiberius. This happened shortly after the ascension of Jesus Christ. Mary Magdalene went to see the emperor. In those days, it was customary to come to the emperor to present him with gifts. The wealthy brought jewelry, and the poor brought what they could. Therefore, Mary Magdalene, who had nothing but faith in Jesus, handed Emperor Tiberius a chicken egg with an exclamation:
"Christ is risen!" The emperor, doubting what was said, noticed that no one can rise from the dead and this is as difficult to believe as it is that a white egg can turn red. Before Tiberius had time to finish these words, the egg began to change color from white to bright red.
Among the bearers of faith in Christ, the eggs painted red symbolized the blood shed by Christ and His death. There is a white white under the red shell of the egg, which serves as a symbol of the Resurrection and the life of Christ.
In Orthodox use, eggs for Easter are not only painted, but also fancifully painted. Such eggs with the lines of their patterns remind of the scourging of Christ. Therefore, it is supposed to paint and paint eggs on a special day on Holy Week (week) - on Maundy Thursday or Good Friday.
Easter Egg Fun & Games
For centuries, the favorite Easter game in Russia was "rolling eggs" They arranged this game like this: they set up a wooden or cardboard "roller" and around it they freed up a flat place on which they laid out painted eggs, toys, and simple souvenirs. The children playing came up to the “skating rink” in turn and rolled each one his own egg. The object that the testicle touched became the prize.
Children loved and "clink glasses" eggs with each other, hitting the opponent's egg with a blunt or sharp end of a painted hard egg. The winner was the one whose egg did not break.
Why does the Easter Bunny deliver colored eggs for Easter?
There is a legend about this.
At the time when the ark plowed the boundless waters that created the Great Flood, it came across the bottom of the top of the mountain, and a gap appeared in the vessel. And the ark would have gone into the deep waters, if not for the hare, which closed the gap with its scanty tail. It is in memory of the brave coward that legends were born. Children who are waiting for an Easter bunny or an Easter bunny are sure that it is he who, in a magic glade in the forests of the German lands, cooks magical herbs in bowlers on the pollen of fireflies, with which he manually paints each Easter egg. In ancient times, this animal was considered one of the symbols of fertility and prosperity among the Germanic peoples. Gradually, the hare, as one of the emblems of Easter, appeared in England.
Interestingly, the custom of giving each other Easter eggs exists in both Catholic and Orthodox countries. For example, in Italy and Germany, it is customary to bring chocolate eggs wrapped in colorful foil in a basket. Moreover, the German and Italian Easter baskets, as a rule, also contain a chocolate bunny.
Even today, Faberge is perhaps one of the most famous jewelry brands. And all thanks to the precious eggs that were produced by this jewelry house for the Russian imperial family. Today, these works of art are a huge rarity, shrouded in secrets, and their cost reaches tens of millions of dollars. In our review, little-known facts about the world's most famous eggs.
1. The first egg was made in 1885 by order of Alexander III
The tradition of painting Easter eggs has existed in Russia since ancient times. The imperial family also followed it. But in 1885, Tsar Alexander III, without suspecting it himself, somewhat transformed this tradition. Deciding to surprise his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, he gave her a special gift - an egg with a secret.
It was a precious egg, covered with white enamel, across which there was a golden stripe. It opened, and inside was a golden "yolk". In it, in turn, sat a golden chicken, inside which was a ruby crown and a pendant. The Empress was delighted with such a gift.
2. The first egg had a prototype
In fact, Faberge did not invent this Easter matryoshka himself. According to the idea of Alexander III, the Easter egg with a secret was to become a free interpretation of an egg made at the beginning of the 18th century, 3 of which are known today.
They are located: in the Rosenborg castle (Copenhagen); in the Museum of Art History (Vienna) and in a private collection (previously - in the art gallery "Green Vault", Dresden). In all the aforementioned specimens of eggs, a chicken is hidden, opening which, you can find a crown, and in it - a ring. It is believed that the emperor wanted to please his spouse with a surprise that would remind her of a well-known product from the Danish royal treasury.
3. All Faberge eggs have a surprise
The Empress was so fascinated by the gift that Faberge, who made the egg, instantly turned into a court jeweler and received a life order. He had to make one egg every year. There was only one condition - the egg must contain some kind of surprise. The fact that it should be done in a single copy was not even discussed.
Since then, Alexander III presented his wife with a new precious egg for every Easter. This tradition was continued by the son of Alexander III, Nicholas II, who gave precious eggs to his mother and wife on Easter holidays.
Each Faberge egg contained a tiny miracle: a miniature replica of the royal crown, a ruby pendant, a mechanical swan, an elephant, a gold mini replica of a palace, 11 tiny portraits on an easel, a model ship, an exact working replica of a royal carriage, etc.
4. The Bolsheviks underestimated Faberge eggs and thus saved them
After the October coup, the Bolsheviks, trying to replenish the treasury of "the world's first communist state", sold Russian art treasures. They plundered churches, sold canvases by old masters from the Hermitage Museum and took on crowns, diadems, necklaces and Faberge eggs that belonged to the Emperor's family.
In 1925, the catalog of the values of the imperial court (crowns, wedding crowns, scepter, orb, diadems, necklaces and other jewelry, including the famous Faberge eggs) was sent to all foreign representatives in the USSR. Part of the Diamond Fund was sold to the English antiquarian Norman Weiss.
In 1928, seven Fabergé eggs of little value and 45 other items were withdrawn from the Diamond Fund.
However, it was thanks to this assessment, which was unflattering for the creator of jewelry masterpieces, that Faberge eggs were saved from being melted down.
Thus, one of the most incredible works of Faberge, the Peacock egg, has been preserved. Inside the masterpiece of crystal and gold was an enameled peacock. Moreover, this bird was mechanical - when it was removed from the golden branch, the peacock raised its tail like a real bird and could even walk.
5. The fate of several eggs is unknown
In total, Faberge made 52 eggs for the Russian imperial court, 19 others were made by orders of private individuals. After the 1917 revolution, many were lost. 62 eggs have survived to this day, 10 of which are in the Kremlin's collection, some belong to the Fabergé jewelry house, and the rest are in museums and private collections.The discovery of several imperial eggs is not known for certain. For example, the fate of the travel bag, created in the Faberge workshop in 1889, is covered with mystery.
This egg was last seen in a London store in 1949. According to rumors, it was sold to an unknown person for $ 1250.
6. One of the imperial eggs was bought by a buyer of scrap precious metals for 8000 pounds
One of the lost imperial Easter eggs was found in a completely surprising way. This egg, which belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna and then disappeared without a trace for more than 90 years, was purchased at a flea market in the United States by a buyer of precious scrap.
This Faberge product was last seen in 1922 in Moscow. The egg, made of gold and decorated with diamonds and sapphires, 8.2 cm high, was confiscated by the Bolsheviks. His further fate remained unknown for a long time, until in 1964 a unique piece of jewelry art went under the hammer at a New York auction called "golden watch in the shape of an egg" - for $ 2,450.
An American who bought a golden egg for 8 thousand pounds ($ 14,000) could not know its true value. For several years he tried to sell the egg, keeping it in his kitchen. Tired of unsuccessful attempts, he tried to find out something about the manufacturer and typed in a search engine the name engraved on the built-in watch. So he came across an article by Kieran McCarthy, director of the Royal Wartski Jewelry House. He called McCarthy and then came to London with photographs of his purchase.
The expert immediately recognized on them one of the eggs created by a famous jeweler for members of the Russian imperial family.
"Probably, Indiana Jones experienced similar feelings when he found the lost ark," - this is how the head of the jewelry house described his emotions to journalists.
7. Queen Elizabeth II owns three imperial Faberge eggs
The British royal family has three Imperial Faberge Easter eggs: Colonnade, Basket of Flowers and Mosaic. The flower basket is the most famous masterpiece of this trio. The miniature bunch of flowers is incredibly realistic!
The British Faberge collection is one of the largest in the world. In addition to the legendary eggs, it contains several hundred jewelry masterpieces: boxes, frames, animal figurines and personal jewelry of members of the Imperial Houses of Russia, Great Britain and Denmark. Despite the size of the British collection, this is only a small fraction of the 200,000 pieces of jewelery produced by the Fabergé Jewelry House.
Who want to be a millionaire? 10/07/17. Questions and answers.
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"Who want to be a millionaire?"
Questions and answers:
Yuri Stoyanov and Igor Zolotovitsky
Fireproof amount: 200,000 rubles.
Questions:
1. What fate befell the house in the fairy tale of the same name?
2. What does the chorus of the song in Svetlana Druzhinina's film call for the midshipmen?
3. What button cannot be found on the remote control of a modern elevator car?
4. What expression means the same as "to walk"?
5. What is stroganin made of?
6. In which operating mode of the washing machine is centrifugal force particularly important?
7. What phrase from the movie "Aladdin's Magic Lamp" became the name of the album of the group "AuktsYon"?
8. Where do the sailors of the sailing ship take their places on the command "Whistle all up!"?
9. Which of the four portraits in the foyer of the theater on Taganka was added by Lyubimov at the insistence of the regional party committee?
10. The flag of which state is not tricolor?
11. Who can rightfully be called a hereditary sculptor?
12. What is the name of the human body model - a visual aid for future doctors?
13. What was inside the first Easter egg made by Carl Faberge?
Right answers:
1.collapsed
2.do not hang your nose
3. "Let's go!"
4. on foot
5.from salmon
7. "Everything is calm in Baghdad"
8.on the upper deck
9. Konstantin Stanislavsky
10. Albania
11. Alexandra Rukavishnikova
12.phantom
13.the golden chicken
The players did not answer 13 questions, but took away the prize of 400,000 rubles.
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Svetlana Zeynalova and Timur Soloviev
Fireproof amount: 200,000 rubles.
Questions:
2. Where, if you believe the catch phrase, does the road paved with good intentions lead?
3. What is used for sifting flour?
4. How to correctly continue Pushkin's line: "He made himself respect ..."?
5. What has appeared this year for the first time in the history of the Confederations Football Cup?
6. In which city is the unfinished Sagrada Familia located?
7. How does the line of the popular song end: "The leaves were falling, and the blizzard of chalk ..."?
8. What kind of creative work did Arkady Velurov do in the film "Pokrovskie Vorota"?
9, the site reports. What is considered to be the addition of the bastard plant?
10. What did the Parisians see in 1983 thanks to Pierre Cardin?
11. Who killed the huge serpent Python?
12. What rank did the 50 Swiss franc note receive in 2016?
13. What do the adherents of the cargo cult in Melanesia build from natural materials?
Right answers:
1.Profile
4. And I could not have imagined it better
5.video replays for judges
6.in Barcelona
7. Where have you been?
8.sang verses
10. play "Juno and Avos"
11. Apollo
13. runways
The players could not answer the 13th question correctly, but left with a non-combustible amount.
Peter Karl Gustavovich Faberge. Some kind of overseas name. Was he even one of ours?
Almost. Faberge was born in St. Petersburg, but had foreign roots. His dad Gustav belonged to the family of French Protestants (Huguenots). The ancestors were forced to leave Picardy - region in northern France- in 1685 due to religious persecution. First, the Faberge family lived in Germany for a long time, and then settled in the Baltic province of Russia - the Livonian province. It was from there that Gustav Faberge moved to St. Petersburg.
And why did he not live in the Baltics?
In general, Gustav Faberge was associated with St. Petersburg from the age of 16. There he studied with jewelers Andreas Ferdinand Spiegel and Johann Wilhelm Keibel. By the way, in 1826, Keibel made the Small Imperial Crown, which Empress Alexandra Feodorovna married to her kingdom. Gustav Faberge decided to keep up with the mentors. True, he began with the opening in 1842 of a small jewelry shop and workshop of gold and diamond products n and Bolshoi Morskoy, 11. And his business went well.
So, that is, the first Faberge eggs began to be made in 1842?
No. Gustav Faberge never made the famous eggs, and he never became a jeweler of the Imperial House, like his teacher. He generally retired in 1860 and moved to Dresden. And while his 14-year-old son Karl traveled around Europe and studied jewelry, the production in St. Petersburg was managed by Hiskias Pendin - a faithful assistant to both Gustav and Karl. Faberge Jr. took over the factory in 1872 when he was 26 years old. He was subordinate to 500 jewelers who worked in numerous workshops. Very soon, the products of the House of Faberge gained wide popularity. The fame of them reached the Emperor Alexander III.
And when did the first Faberge egg appear and what did it look like?
In 1885. In fact, the idea to create a souvenir egg from precious metals did not belong to Carl Faberge himself. He was simply fulfilling the order of Emperor Alexander III, who wished to make a gift for Easter to his wife Maria Feodorovna. And the emperor himself was also not original - similar eggs were made in Europe from the beginning of the 18th century. But the Faberge jewelry house did not make a copy, but created its own version. It was an egg of gold, covered with opaque white enamel. And then - as in the tale about the death of Kashchei: inside the egg there was a yolk of matte gold, in it contained a chicken made of multicolored "mosaic gold"; in the chicken was kept a miniature imperial crown, which hid the last surprise - a ruby egg-pendant with a gold chain.
Wow, this is just some kind of "kinder-surprise"!
And you thought! You will not surprise the empress with a simple egg made of precious metals! In general, a total of 30 eggs were donated to Maria Fedorovna. The surprises in them were the most original. For example, inside the egg "Danish Palaces" (1890) were hidden 12 miniature paintings on mother-of-pearl depicting the palaces of Denmark and Russia, and an egg made of jade and gold "Memory of Azov" (1891) hid a model of the frigate of the same name, on which Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich and his brother Georgy Alexandrovich sailed to the Far East in 1890-1891.
And how many eggs were made for the royal family?
Opinions are divided on the point. There are 71 eggs in total. It is generally accepted that 52 of them were made for the royal family, although there are two more eggs, supposedly intended for one of the imperial persons. Since 1895, two eggs were made for Easter: for Maria Fyodorovna and the wife of Nicholas II, Alexandra Fyodorovna. In 1897, the most famous egg appeared - "Coronation", dedicated to celebrations on the occasion of the wedding to the kingdom of Nicholas II and his wife. The surprise was a copy of the gilded carriage of Catherine II, used in the coronation ceremonies. The miniature of the carriage repeated all the details of the original. Both doors open, steps are thrown out from the inside on both sides. The blinds are engraved on the rhinestone windows. This carriage was made for 15 months 16 hours a day by 24-year-old master Georg Stein.
Stop. That is, Faberge eggs and surprises for them were not made by Faberge himself?
Certainly! Carl Faberge did not create a single egg with his own hands. Everything was done by the workers of his workshops. On the eve of 1914, almost 600 jewelers were working there. The most famous of them is Mikhail Perkhin. He was the chief foreman of the company for 18 years and ran his own workshop, where 28 eggs were created. For the 200th anniversary of St. Petersburg, they made an egg "Peter I", on the sides of which there were four m iniatures with views of the city. The Bronze Horseman model was a surprise. In 1900, Perkhin made an egg from silver "Trans-Siberian Railway".A map of the Russian Empire with a highway was minted on the egg itself, and inside was a miniature copy of the train.made of gold and platinum. By the way, the train was mechanical, and a golden winding key was attached to it. In 1903, Perkhin died, and with replaced by Henrik Immanuel Wigström.
Foreigner again?
Yes. Wigstrom was born and studied jewelry in Finland, but at the age of 16 he came to work in St. Petersburg. At first he was an apprentice in the Faberge firm, and from 1906 he was responsible for all major orders. In 1915, for Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna, he made eggs "Red Cross with Portraits" and "Red Cross Triptych". Inside the first were portraits two daughters, sister, wife and cousin of Nicholas II in the uniform of nurses. They were all sisters of mercy during the First World War.
Wait, did the expensive eggs continue to be made even during the war?
No one thought to give up the tradition. True, by Easter 1916, everything is the same Wigstrom made an egg that was very different from luxury products previously released. It is manufacturedmade of artillery steel and has a stand in the form ofartillery shells... But this egg, of course, still contains elements made of precious metals. As a surprise,a miniature easel with a painting by the court artist Vasily Zuev, who depicted the scene of the visit of the headquarters of the General Staff by the Emperor and Tsarevich Alexei. Generally, duringDuring the war, the Faberge factory made many items that were intended to be sent to the front: mugs, plates, tobacco holders and even grenades.
Did his factory produce anything other than eggs before the war?
In fact, the range of products produced was huge! In the entire history of the House of Fabergé, more than 150 thousand pieces of jewelry were made. And most of them are utilitarian: photo frames, cigarette cases, cane knobs, pencil cases, watches, perfume bottles, candy boxes called bonbonnieres.
And where does the story of the House of Faberge end?
The Fabergé factory faced a rather typical ending for private production of that time. The well-being of the jewelry house was already shaken during the war, but the October Revolution of 1917 finally finished it off. In 1918, all branches of the company were closed, although the store in Moscow continued to operate until February 1919. Carl Faberge himself was able to escape to Switzerland, but he did not have long to live. A jeweler and entrepreneur, depressed due to the inability to do what he loved, died on September 24, 1920. Four sons of Carl Faberge, and then his grandchildren, set up a small production abroad.
And what happened to the collection of eggs made for the royal family?
The Bolsheviks actively traded in the products of the Faberge factory. Most of them were sold overseas. A significant part of the collection ended up in the United States and Great Britain. Easter eggs are no exception. Now five of them are in the Virginia Museum of Art, three in the New Orleans Museum of Art, four in f onde Edouard and Maurice Sandoz in Switzerland, four more are in the collection of Queen Elizabeth II. And 14 are kept in private collections.
Is there anything left in Russia?
Several eggs, including the Trans-Siberian Railway, have not been exported from the country. It is now in the Kremlin Armory. In total, 10 eggs are stored there. One egg each is in the collection of the Hermitage and the Fersman Mineralogical Museum in Moscow. But most of all eggs in the exposition of the Faberge Museum- 15, including "Hen" and "Coronation". By the way, it is there that the egg "Order of St. George" is kept, made for Maria Feodorovna for Easter 1916. It was the last egg she was given. And the only one that she was able to take abroad in 1919. The product was passed down from generation to generation, and then it ended up in the Forbes collection. In 2004, the entire collection was put up for auction, where it was acquired by Viktor Vekselberg for the Faberge Museum.
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