Message #83183

[Bianca]

Renaissance Egg



Gold, white agate, enamel, diamonds, rubies

Length
5 1/4 inches; 13.3 cm

Marks
Fabergé, initials of work master Michael Perchin, assay-mark of St. Petersburg before 1896, 56 (zolotnik), dated 1894

The translucent milky white egg was the last Easter present Tsarina Maria Feodorovna would receive from her beloved husband, who died eight months later. The agate stone creates a breathtaking shell against which a jeweled and enameled trellis of decorative motifs shimmers. Chased gold lions on either end guard the precious treasure, but what the Tsarina would find inside is a mystery since the whereabouts and nature of the egg's surprise are unknown.


http://www.forbes.com/2004/01/08/cx_pm_0108fcphotoessay.html