Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg (Primary Title)
Vasilii Zuiev, Russian, 1870 - after 1931 , painter of miniature (Artist)
Fabergé firm, Russian, 1842 - 1917 (Manufacturer)
Henrik Wigström, 1862 - 1923 (Workmaster)
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
Exhibitions: Hammer Galleries catalogue 1933 (p. 3, no. 4756); Hammer Galleries catalogue 1933A (no. 4756); Hammer Galleries catalogue 1934 (pp. 2/3, no. 4756); Hammer Galleries catalogue 1935; Hammer Galleries catalogue 1937 (p. 6, no. 9); Hammer Galleries catalogue 1939; Richmond 1948, 1954, 1983; Roanoke 1950; New York/San Francisco/ Richmond/New Orleans/Cleveland 1996/97 (cat. no. 151, pp. 120, 126/7, 160/1, ill. p. 160); Richmond/Detroit/ Salem/ Montreal/Las Vegas/ Oklahoma City/ Beijing 2012–2016 (cat. no. 190, pp. 282–285, ills. pp 282–285).
(for the full citations, above, see the Bibliography - Taschen" in the Bibligraphy section, in this TMS entry)
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
Fabergé Revealed, VMFA, July 9, 2011 - October 2, 2011
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
Caroline Charron, Fabergé de la cour du tsar à l’exil (Paris: Editions Complicités, 2010) color ill. front cover.
Anne Odom and Wendy R. Salmond, eds., Treasures into Tractors The Selling of Russia’s Cultural Heritage (Washington DC: Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 2009) p. 3, color ill. p. 2.
“Story Tellers in New York: Fabergé by von Habsburg,” PAVONE Royal Celeb Style Vol. 15 [Japanese] color ills. cover & p. 7.
“Current and Coming,” The Magazine Antiques, Vol. CLXXVIII, No. 4, July/Aug. 2011, p. 30, color ill.
Kate Andrews, “Close Encounters. Staffers Share VMFA Visits that had Artful Aftereffects,” Richmond Magazine May 2010, p. 79, color ill.
Ryo Yamaguchi, The Brilliant Jewelry Artists and History (Tokyo: Ink Incorporation, 2008) p. 70, color ill.
Dorota Jarowicz, “Bezcenne Jajko (Unusual Easter Eggs),” Twoj Dom Magazine Vol. 6, No. 6, April 2006, color ill. no. 5, p. 9.
"Amazing Museums," Greater Richmond White Pages (Verizon, 2006) color ill. p. 8.
Mark Mauthner, Gold! Natural Treasure, Cultural Obsession (Columbus, OH: Crazy Little Books, 2005) pp. 25-26, color ill. p. 26.
K.M. Kostyal, Art of the State of Virginia The Spirit of America (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1999) p. 86, color ill. pp. 7, 86.
Armand Hammer, The Quest of the Romanoff Treasure (New York: William Farquhar Payson, 1932) p. 184, illus.
The Hammer Collection of Russian Imperial Art Treasures from the Winter Palace, exhibition catalog, Lord and Taylor, New York, 1933, no. 4756, p. 3, illus.
Henry C. Bainbridge, Russian Imperial Easter Gifts: The Work of Carl Faberge. Connoisseur, May/June 1934, pp. 299-306, p. 299 (fig. 1)
Henry C. Bainbridge, The Workmasters of Faberge, Connoisseur, vol. 96, no. 408, Aug. 1935, pp. 87-90, illus. IV.
Henry C. Bainbridge, Peter Carl Fagerge: Goldsmith and Jeweler to the Russian Imperial Court (New York and London: B.T. Batsford, 1949), pl. 49.
A. Kenneth Snowman, The Art of Carl Faberge, (London: Faber and Faber, 1953), illus., no. 336, 337, 338 betw. pp. 96 & 97.
Parker Lesley, Russian Imperial Jewels, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1960, Cat. No. 48, p. 35, illus., p. 37
Plymouth Traveler, March 1961, Imperial Easter Eggs, pp. 14-15, illus.
A. Kenneth Snowman, The Art of Carl Faberge, Rev. ed. (London: Faber and Faber, 1962), pp. 102-103, pls. 367-369.
Harold Haydon, Great Art Treasures in America’s Smaller Museums, Country Beautiful, Putnams Sons, NY, 1967, p. 101.
Parker Lesley, Faberge Cat., Virginia Museum, C. 1976, Cat. No. 48, p. 43, illus. pp. 42-43.
Christopher Forbes, Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs in American Collections, Antiques Magazine, Vol. CXV, No. 6, 1979, p. 1234, illus., p. 1232.
Robert C. Williams, Russian Art and American Money (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1980), Fig. 20
Alexander von Solodkoff, ed., Masterpieces from the House of Faberge (New York: Abrams, 1984) illus., p. 98
Alexander von Solodkoff, Faberge (London: Pyramid, 1988) p. 45, list no. 41; color illus., p. 47
Christopher Forbes, et. Al. Faberge: The Imperial Eggs, New York, Neues Publishing Co., 1989, illus., fig. 37, p. 110.
Gerard Hill, ed., Faberge and the Russian Master Goldsmiths (New York: Hugh Lauter
Levin Associates, 1989), p. 60, pl. 53.
Faberge: The Imperial Eggs, exh. Catalogue, San Diego Museum of Art; Armory Museum, State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, 1989-90, p. 100, fig. 37
Nonny de la Pena, Armand Hammered, Quest, Manhattan Properties & Country Estates (New York: Quest Publishing, 1990) Sept. 1990, p. 36, illus. (color) p. 36
Susanna Pfeffer, Faberge Eggs: Masterpieces from Czarist Russia, New York, Hugh Lauter Levin Assoc., Inc., 1990, p. 98, illus. (color), p. 99
Faberge Easter Eggs, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Lady’s Gallery, magazine, volume 1, issue 5, April/May 1994, Missouri, Bayhouse Publishing, 1994, pp. 46-47, illus., p. 47.
David Park Curry, Faberge (Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1995), no. 4.
Geza von Hapsburg, Faberge Fantasies and Treasures (New York: Faberge Co. in assoc. with Universe Publishing, 1995), ill. (flipped), credit p. 78;
Valentin Vasilievich Skurlov, " Visit of Eugene Faberge to Livadia on Easter 1912 for Presentation of Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg," Clio, no. 6 (126), 2017, pp. 111-115)(article in Curatorial File)
Anne Odom and Wendy R. Salmond, eds., Treasures into Tractors The Selling of Russia’s Cultural Heritage (Washington DC: Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens, 2009) p. 3, color ill. p. 2.
“Story Tellers in New York: Fabergé by von Habsburg,” PAVONE Royal Celeb Style Vol. 15 [Japanese] color ills. cover & p. 7.
“Current and Coming,” The Magazine Antiques, Vol. CLXXVIII, No. 4, July/Aug. 2011, p. 30, color ill.
Kate Andrews, “Close Encounters. Staffers Share VMFA Visits that had Artful Aftereffects,” Richmond Magazine May 2010, p. 79, color ill.
Ryo Yamaguchi, The Brilliant Jewelry Artists and History (Tokyo: Ink Incorporation, 2008) p. 70, color ill.
Dorota Jarowicz, “Bezcenne Jajko (Unusual Easter Eggs),” Twoj Dom Magazine Vol. 6, No. 6, April 2006, color ill. no. 5, p. 9.
"Amazing Museums," Greater Richmond White Pages (Verizon, 2006) color ill. p. 8.
Mark Mauthner, Gold! Natural Treasure, Cultural Obsession (Columbus, OH: Crazy Little Books, 2005) pp. 25-26, color ill. p. 26.
K.M. Kostyal, Art of the State of Virginia The Spirit of America (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1999) p. 86, color ill. pp. 7, 86.
Armand Hammer, The Quest of the Romanoff Treasure (New York: William Farquhar Payson, 1932) p. 184, illus.
The Hammer Collection of Russian Imperial Art Treasures from the Winter Palace, exhibition catalog, Lord and Taylor, New York, 1933, no. 4756, p. 3, illus.
Henry C. Bainbridge, Russian Imperial Easter Gifts: The Work of Carl Faberge. Connoisseur, May/June 1934, pp. 299-306, p. 299 (fig. 1)
Henry C. Bainbridge, The Workmasters of Faberge, Connoisseur, vol. 96, no. 408, Aug. 1935, pp. 87-90, illus. IV.
Henry C. Bainbridge, Peter Carl Fagerge: Goldsmith and Jeweler to the Russian Imperial Court (New York and London: B.T. Batsford, 1949), pl. 49.
A. Kenneth Snowman, The Art of Carl Faberge, (London: Faber and Faber, 1953), illus., no. 336, 337, 338 betw. pp. 96 & 97.
Parker Lesley, Russian Imperial Jewels, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1960, Cat. No. 48, p. 35, illus., p. 37
Plymouth Traveler, March 1961, Imperial Easter Eggs, pp. 14-15, illus.
A. Kenneth Snowman, The Art of Carl Faberge, Rev. ed. (London: Faber and Faber, 1962), pp. 102-103, pls. 367-369.
Harold Haydon, Great Art Treasures in America’s Smaller Museums, Country Beautiful, Putnams Sons, NY, 1967, p. 101.
Parker Lesley, Faberge Cat., Virginia Museum, C. 1976, Cat. No. 48, p. 43, illus. pp. 42-43.
Christopher Forbes, Faberge Imperial Easter Eggs in American Collections, Antiques Magazine, Vol. CXV, No. 6, 1979, p. 1234, illus., p. 1232.
Robert C. Williams, Russian Art and American Money (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1980), Fig. 20
Alexander von Solodkoff, ed., Masterpieces from the House of Faberge (New York: Abrams, 1984) illus., p. 98
Alexander von Solodkoff, Faberge (London: Pyramid, 1988) p. 45, list no. 41; color illus., p. 47
Christopher Forbes, et. Al. Faberge: The Imperial Eggs, New York, Neues Publishing Co., 1989, illus., fig. 37, p. 110.
Gerard Hill, ed., Faberge and the Russian Master Goldsmiths (New York: Hugh Lauter
Levin Associates, 1989), p. 60, pl. 53.
Faberge: The Imperial Eggs, exh. Catalogue, San Diego Museum of Art; Armory Museum, State Museums of the Moscow Kremlin, 1989-90, p. 100, fig. 37
Nonny de la Pena, Armand Hammered, Quest, Manhattan Properties & Country Estates (New York: Quest Publishing, 1990) Sept. 1990, p. 36, illus. (color) p. 36
Susanna Pfeffer, Faberge Eggs: Masterpieces from Czarist Russia, New York, Hugh Lauter Levin Assoc., Inc., 1990, p. 98, illus. (color), p. 99
Faberge Easter Eggs, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Lady’s Gallery, magazine, volume 1, issue 5, April/May 1994, Missouri, Bayhouse Publishing, 1994, pp. 46-47, illus., p. 47.
David Park Curry, Faberge (Richmond: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, 1995), no. 4.
Geza von Hapsburg, Faberge Fantasies and Treasures (New York: Faberge Co. in assoc. with Universe Publishing, 1995), ill. (flipped), credit p. 78;
Valentin Vasilievich Skurlov, " Visit of Eugene Faberge to Livadia on Easter 1912 for Presentation of Imperial Tsesarevich Easter Egg," Clio, no. 6 (126), 2017, pp. 111-115)(article in Curatorial File)
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
Lillian Thomas Pratt’s Fabergé: Shopping, Collecting, Remembering
27:02This 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.
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.
