Nécessaire (Fabergé egg)

Nécessaire Fabergé egg
Year delivered 1889
Customer Alexander III, presented to Maria Feodorovna
Current owner
Individual or institution Unknown
Year of acquisition Last known 1952
Design and materials
Workmaster Unknown
Materials used gold, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, diamonds, pearl ring
Height Unknown
Width Unknown
Surprise 13 diamond-encrusted gold woman's toilet implements

The Nécessaire egg is a Tsar Imperial Fabergé egg, one of a series of fifty-two jeweled eggs made under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé for the Russian Imperial family. It was crafted and delivered to the then Tsar of Russia, Alexander III who presented it to his wife, Maria Feodorovna on Easter day 1889. The egg is one of the lost Imperial eggs, but is known to have survived the Russian Revolution and was sold by Wartski in London in 1952.

Design of egg

This egg was designed as an étui containing woman's toilet items.[1] While the exact appearance of the egg is not known, it is described in the 1917 inventory of confiscated imperial treasure as being decorated with "multi-colored stones and brilliants, rubies, emeralds and sapphires."[1]

Surprise in egg

The surprise was 13-piece diamond-encrusted accessories and toilet articles.

History of egg

On 9 April 1889 Alexander III presented the egg to his wife, Maria Feodorovna. It was housed at the Gatchina Palace and was taken on at least one trip to Moscow, as demonstrated by an invoice for the trip which describes the egg.[1]

After the 1917 revolution the Nécessaire Egg was seized along with the rest of the imperial eggs and sent to the Armoury Palace of the Kremlin. During the early part of 1922 the egg was transferred to the Sovnarkom. It was last shown at Wartski, the Court Jewellers and Fabergé specialists, in 1949 as part of the first dedicated exhibition of Faberge's works in Europe. It was later acquired and sold by the firm in London in June 1952 to a customer identified only as "A Stranger". Its current whereabouts are unknown.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lowes, Will; McCanless, Christel Ludewig (2001). Fabergé Eggs A Retrospective Encyclopedia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press Inc. p. 26. ISBN 0-8108-3946-6.


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