Green Egg with Cock Inside
Size: 55x118mm
Weight: 432g
Carl Faberge is known worldwide as a jeweler that created many unique works of art. Some art critics doubt this idea saying that he was quite an ordinary master. But nobody can doubt that Faberge was unsurpassed businessman who managed to make his trade mark famous and profitable.
When he became the head of his father's company in 1872, Carl Faberge first made the products in his father's style. They were quite awkward, pompous golden items with big precious stone. They were good enough but not original. In 1882 he received the golden medal at the Moscow exhibition for mastery copies of Ancient Greek items from Hermitage collection. By 1884 he made a lot of different work for the Russian imperial court from repairing different pieces of jewelry to evaluating the items purchased. In 1885 he got his first order for an Easter egg that was mentioned as a gift for Her Majesty Maria Fyodorovna.
Thus, by 1890 Faberge bypassed all his main competitors and became number 1 in Russia due to the wide assortment of items produced with a great part of useful practical things (like clocks, snuffboxes, photo frames, candlesticks, etc.), recognized style, a wide range of patrons and customers. He received the main imperial orders including engagement gifts from Nicholas II for his future wife, orders for his coronation, 300th anniversary of the Romanovs family, wedding, baptizing or funerals of the Russian imperial family members.
Nowadays many companies try to reproduce this famous style making souvenirs and pieces of jewelry in Faberge style using non-ferrous metals, gilding, cold enamel topping and different decorations.
This Double egg with a crown is one of those reminding of Faberge's works for the Russian court. It is 118 mm high and weighs 432 grams. When closed, it is a blue enameled egg on gilded stem with netlike gilded patterns that looks quite simple but still exquisite. If you open the egg you will find a small model of the Russian imperial orb with a big Russian Tsars' gilded crown on top. The orb and crown are decorated with stresses and gilded patterns.
