Friday, March 29, 2013

Egg Decorating: The Fabergé Cradle with Garlands and Rennaissance Eggs

First up, from Pearly's Qunol:

1907 - Cradle with Garlands Egg
Dimensions: Height: 14,6 cm (5.7 inches)
 
This gold egg in the Louis XVI style, is enameled translucent pale blue and decorated with a band composed of painted enamel roses and translucent emerald green enameled leaves, panels of oyster enamel and bands of scrolls and acanthus in colored gold. The Egg is supported in a gold cradle by four columns with Cupid's sets of arrows studded with diamonds. The whole is supported on a carved oval alabaster base and stands on four bun feet in chased colored gold.

The now missing surprise was made of white enamel, ruby, pearls, rose-cut diamonds, watercolor (possibly on ivory), probably gold. According to the original invoice the surprise was a miniature of all the Imperial children.

Private Collection, Robert M. Lee, USA
And from Treasures of Imperial Russia:


THE RENAISSANCE EGG: A FABERGÉ IMPERIAL EASTER EGG PRESENTED BY EMPEROR ALEXANDER III TO HIS WIFE THE EMPRESS MARIA FEODOROVNA AT EASTER 1894,WORKMASTER MICHAEL PERCHIN, ST. PETERSBURG


The egg-shaped casket carved of translucent bluish gray agate opening horizontally and raised on an oval gold foot, the hinged cover applied with a white-enameled latticework and set with diamond and ruby flowerheads at the intersections, the top wit the diamond-set date 1894 on an oval reserve enameled translucent strawberry red, the reserve bordered by green-enameled scallop shells interspaced with red and white enameled ovoids, the lower border of the cover with scallop shells enameled translucent strawberry red between white enamel scrolls set with diamonds, the cover opening to reveal interior rims engraved with scrolling foliage on a white enamel ground, the diamond-set rim of the lower half enameled translucent strawberry red, the “straps” of the lower half enameled with blue scallop shells and berried green leaves, each end of the casket mounted with a gold lion mask and loose ring handle, with diamond-set clasp, the foot repoussé with leaves enameled translucent green interspaced by translucent red enamel bellflowers, marked with Cyrillic initials of workmaster, Fabergé in Cyrillic and assay mark of 56 standard for 14 karat gold.

The 1894 Imperial Egg is described on its invoice as:

“Agate egg, gold mount, decorated in the Renaissance style, with diamonds, rose-cut diamonds, pearls and rubies. St. Petersburg, May 6, 1894 4750 r.” 1
After its confiscation by the Provisional Government, it was sold by Antikvariat for 1,500 rubles to Armand Hammer....MORE