Chocolate Bunnies & Faberge Eggs
The History of the Jeweled Egg as an Easter Gift
The decorated egg as an Easter memento has been around since the Middle Ages, but nobody did it better than Carl Faberge and the Russian Royal family!
The Egg as a Symbol of Life
The egg has been an important religious and cultural symbol since ancient times. In Egypt, priests would not eat them because they represented life. Romans placed them in tombs and believed that the breaking of eggs would ward off evil spirits. In Pagan times, the egg represented the creation of life and was part of the celebration of the spring equinox, itself a celebration of renewal and rebirth. By the Middle Ages, Christians adopted the egg as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. In the 13th Century, ostrich eggs decorated with gold and silver began appearing in cathedrals as part of Easter celebrations. Decorated hen’s eggs appeared in France about the time of Louis X1V (1638-1715). He distributed colored eggs to his court, and eventually commissioned artists to paint scenes on eggs which were to be distributed as royal gifts. Watteau and Boucher created hand painted eggs for Louis XV. Louis XVI’s eggs were beautifully crafted miniatures that often included a precious object inside the egg. By the 18th Century, European aristocrats were presenting loved ones with extravagant gold and jeweled creations by the best goldsmiths and jewelers.
Egg Maker to the Tsar
Since Easter is the single most important festival in the Russian Orthodox year, it follows that the wealthiest of all the Russian Orthodox families, the Romanovs, would possess the most beautiful of eggs. Referred to as The Imperial Eggs, they are miniature masterpieces conceived by Peter Carl Faberge (1846-1920). Carl was the son of a goldsmith. He served as an apprentice in his father’s small but prosperous St. Petersburg shop which he took over in 1870. By 1882, Faberge was winning gold medals at international expositions. In 1885, he was appointed Jeweler to the Russian Court, and the Imperial eggs were hatched.
Imperial Eggs & Chocolate Bunnies
The first Imperial Egg was made in 1855 For Alexander III, and they continued to be made until 1917. It is believed that a total of 56 Imperial Eggs were made for the 2 Tsars, but only 54 have been accounted for. Although Faberge used his share of precious metals and gems, his designs also relied heavily on the semi- precious and indigenous stone and wood of Russia. The eggs are exquisitely wrought flights of fantasy and workmanship that reveal miniature surprises when opened. The nightingale Egg (1911) of nephrite, gold, enamel, and diamonds opens at the top, and a singing nightingale appears. Other eggs house a model of the Trans- Siberian Railway, the Coronation Coach, miniatures of the entire royal family, and the Royal Yacht. Today, the largest single collection of Imperial Eggs outside of Russia is owned by the Queen of England. Elizabeth may own most of the eggs, but anyone can have a chocolate bunny, (an Anglo-Saxon symbol of fertility). And, inside the bunny, a gorgeous display of the candy maker’s art.
Where to see Imperial Eggs
Armory Museum, Moscow, Hillwood Museum, Washington DC, Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, Cleveland Museum of Art.
Reference: The Art of Faberge by John Booth 1996 Wellfleet Press
