Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg (Primary Title)

Fabergé firm, Russian, 1842 - 1917 (Manufacturer)
Henrik Wigström, 1862 - 1923 (Workmaster)
Vassilii Zuiev, Russian, 1870 - after 1931, , painter of miniature (Artist)

Archives Books Educational
1912
Russian
Decorative Arts
Sculpture
Egg: lapis lazuli, gold, diamonds; Picture frame: silver, platinum, lapis lazuli, diamonds, watercolor on ivory, rock crystal
Decorative Arts After 1890
St. Petersburg, Russia
Overall (egg): 4 7/8 × 3 9/16 in. (12.4 × 9 cm)
Overall (miniature): 3 3/4 × 2 3/8 in. (9.5 × 6 cm)
Overall (stand): 2 5/8 × 4 1/8 in. (6.7 × 10.5 cm)
47.20.34
G215 - Fabergé Gallery 3
Set "Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg Minature" (47.20.368)
The Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg was presented by Tsar Nicholas II to his wife, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, in 1912. The egg is cleverly constructed to appear as if it is carved from a single piece of lapis lazuli. It actually has six lapis lazuli sections. The joints are concealed under the elaborate gold decorations that include double-headed eagles, a symbol of imperial Russia. The top of the egg is set with a table diamond (a thin, flat diamond) that covers the Cyrillic monogram AF (for Alexandra Feodorovna) and the date 1912.
Miniature on view is a reproduction photograph (taken before 1930) of the original painted miniature by Zuiev, now in storage.
Stamped Fabergé, initials of workmaster Henrik Wigström
Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt
Fabergé Revealed, Palace Museum, Beijing, China, April 16 - July 17, 2016

Fabergé: Jeweler to the Tsars, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, June 20 – September 27, 2015

Fabergé Revealed, Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, Las Vegas, Nevada, November 14, 2014 - May 25, 2015

Fabulous Fabergé, Jeweler to the Czars, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, June 14 - October 12, 2014

Fabergé Revealed, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, June 22 - September 29, 2013

Fabergé: The Rise and Fall, Detroit Institute of Art, October 14, 2012 - January 21, 2013

Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection of Fabergé, coinciding with Fabergé in America, Metropolitan Museum of Art, February 12 - April 18, 1996, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, May 25 - July 28, 1996, New Orleans Museum of Art, December 7, 1996 - February 8, 1997, Cleveland Museum of Art, March 12 - May 11, 1997
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

Lillian Thomas Pratt’s Fabergé: Shopping, Collecting, Remembering
27:02

This intimate documentary unveils the world-renowned Lillian Thomas Pratt Collection of Fabergé and Russian Decorative Arts at the VMFA through recollections of family members and others who share their experiences about Mrs. Pratt, the passionate collector, and the facts behind the fantasies.

Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg
00:00:53

Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg, 1912, by Fabergé firm Henrik Wigström, Workmaster (Russian, 1862 - 1923) Lapis lazuli, gold, diamonds, silver, platinum,watercolor on ivory, rock crystal Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt Music: excerpt from Alexander Borodin, String Quartet No. 1 in A Major - I. Moderato - Allegro

Imperial Tsarevich Egg
0:52
Lillian Thomas Pratt’s Fabergé: Shopping, Collecting, Remembering
27:02
Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg
00:00:53

Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.