Romanov Tercentenary (Fabergé egg)
Encyclopedia
The Romanov Tercentenary Egg is a jewelled
Easter egg
made under the supervision of the Russian
jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé
in 1913, for Tsar Nicholas II
of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna. It is currently held in the Kremlin Armoury
Museum in Moscow
.
, silver
, rose-cut and portrait diamond
s, turquoise
, purpurine
, rock crystal, Vitreous enamel
and watercolor painting
on ivory
. It is in height and in diameter. The egg celebrates the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty, the three hundred years of Romanov rule from 1613 to 1913. The outside contains eighteen portraits of the Romanov Tsars of Russia. The egg is decorated in a chased gold pattern with double-headed eagles as well as past and present Romanov crowns which frame the portraits of the Tsars. Each miniature portrait, painted by miniaturist Vassily Zuiev, is on ivory and is bordered by rose-cut diamonds. The inside of the egg is opalescent white enamel. The egg sits on a pedestal that represents the Imperial double-headed eagle
in gold, with three talons holding the Imperial scepter, orb and Romanov sword. The pedestal is supported by a purpurine base that represents the Russian Imperial shield.
Among the 18 rulers represented are Michael
, the first of the Romanov dynasty in 1613, as well as Peter the Great (1682–1725), Catherine the Great (1762–1796), and Nicholas II himself as the final Tsar in 1913.
made of dark blue enamel, varicolored gold and steel
. The globe portrays one hemisphere showing Russian territory under Tsar Michael in 1613, and on the opposite side the Russian territory under Nicholas II in 1913. The dark blue enamel colors areas of the ocean while landmasses are portrayed in colored golds.
retracing the journey made by Michael Romanov on his way to the throne in 1613. The tercentenary celebrations across Russia were extravagant and well attended by the masses, in spite of Nicholas II's unpopularity since the 1905 Russian Revolution. While traveling the country, Nicholas and Alexandra were so well received by the people that it seemed as if public opinion had turned in their favor. This experience colored Alexandra's perspective throughout the next four years when the monarchy began to crumble during World War I
. She refused to believe that the Russian people could turn on them so quickly. Yet, by 1917 the February Revolution
would lead to Nicholas' abdication
and the family's execution in 1918.
In 1917 the Romanov Tercentenary Egg was confiscated by the Provisional Government
during the Russian Revolution, along with many other Imperial treasures. It was transported from the Anichkov Palace
to the Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, where it remained. The Romanov Tercentenary Egg is one of ten Faberge Eggs in the collection at the Kremlin Armoury. Others include: Memory of Azov Egg (1881), Bouquet of Lilies Clock egg
(1899), Trans-Siberian Railway egg
(1900), Clover Leaf egg
(1902), Moscow Kremlin egg
(1906), Standart egg
(1909), Alexander III Equestrian egg
(1910), Alexander Palace egg
(1908), Steel Military egg
(1916).
Jewellery
Jewellery or jewelry is a form of personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.With some exceptions, such as medical alert bracelets or military dog tags, jewellery normally differs from other items of personal adornment in that it has no other purpose than to...
Easter egg
Easter egg
Easter eggs are special eggs that are often given to celebrate Easter or springtime.The oldest tradition is to use dyed or painted chicken eggs, but a modern custom is to substitute chocolate eggs, or plastic eggs filled with confectionery such as jelly beans...
made under the supervision of the Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé
Peter Carl Fabergé
Peter Karl Fabergé also known as Karl Gustavovich Fabergé in Russia was a Russian jeweller of Baltic German-Danish and French origin, best known for the famous Fabergé eggs, made in the style of genuine Easter eggs, but using precious metals and gemstones rather than more mundane materials.-Early...
in 1913, for Tsar Nicholas II
Nicholas II of Russia
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia, Grand Prince of Finland, and titular King of Poland. His official short title was Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias and he is known as Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer by the Russian Orthodox Church.Nicholas II ruled from 1894 until...
of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna. It is currently held in the Kremlin Armoury
Kremlin Armoury
The Kremlin Armory is one of the oldest museums of Moscow, established in 1808 and located in the Moscow Kremlin .The Kremlin Armoury originated as the royal arsenal in 1508. Until the transfer of the court to St Petersburg, the Armoury was in charge of producing, purchasing and storing weapons,...
Museum in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
.
Design
The Romanov Tercentenary Egg is made of goldGold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, rose-cut and portrait diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s, turquoise
Turquoise
Turquoise is an opaque, blue-to-green mineral that is a hydrous phosphate of copper and aluminium, with the chemical formula CuAl648·4. It is rare and valuable in finer grades and has been prized as a gem and ornamental stone for thousands of years owing to its unique hue...
, purpurine
Purpurin (glass)
Purpurin , sometimes referred to as glass porphyr, is an opaque glass of brownish to lustrous deep-reddish color which in classical antiquity was used for residential luxury objects, mosaics and various decorative purposes...
, rock crystal, Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel
Vitreous enamel, also porcelain enamel in U.S. English, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850 °C...
and watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor or watercolour , also aquarelle from French, is a painting method. A watercolor is the medium or the resulting artwork in which the paints are made of pigments suspended in a water-soluble vehicle...
on ivory
Ivory
Ivory is a term for dentine, which constitutes the bulk of the teeth and tusks of animals, when used as a material for art or manufacturing. Ivory has been important since ancient times for making a range of items, from ivory carvings to false teeth, fans, dominoes, joint tubes, piano keys and...
. It is in height and in diameter. The egg celebrates the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty, the three hundred years of Romanov rule from 1613 to 1913. The outside contains eighteen portraits of the Romanov Tsars of Russia. The egg is decorated in a chased gold pattern with double-headed eagles as well as past and present Romanov crowns which frame the portraits of the Tsars. Each miniature portrait, painted by miniaturist Vassily Zuiev, is on ivory and is bordered by rose-cut diamonds. The inside of the egg is opalescent white enamel. The egg sits on a pedestal that represents the Imperial double-headed eagle
Double-headed eagle
The double-headed eagle is a common symbol in heraldry and vexillology. It is most commonly associated with the Byzantine Empire and the Holy Roman Empire. In Byzantine heraldry, the heads represent the dual sovereignty of the Emperor and/or dominance of the Byzantine Emperors over both East and...
in gold, with three talons holding the Imperial scepter, orb and Romanov sword. The pedestal is supported by a purpurine base that represents the Russian Imperial shield.
Among the 18 rulers represented are Michael
Michael of Russia
Mikhail I Fyodorovich Romanov Mikhail Fedorovich Romanov was the first Russian Tsar of the house of Romanov. He was the son of Feodor Nikitich Romanov and Xenia...
, the first of the Romanov dynasty in 1613, as well as Peter the Great (1682–1725), Catherine the Great (1762–1796), and Nicholas II himself as the final Tsar in 1913.
Surprise
The surprise is a rotating detailed globeGlobe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
made of dark blue enamel, varicolored gold and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
. The globe portrays one hemisphere showing Russian territory under Tsar Michael in 1613, and on the opposite side the Russian territory under Nicholas II in 1913. The dark blue enamel colors areas of the ocean while landmasses are portrayed in colored golds.
History
In May 1913 Nicholas II and Alexandra Fedorovna made a pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
retracing the journey made by Michael Romanov on his way to the throne in 1613. The tercentenary celebrations across Russia were extravagant and well attended by the masses, in spite of Nicholas II's unpopularity since the 1905 Russian Revolution. While traveling the country, Nicholas and Alexandra were so well received by the people that it seemed as if public opinion had turned in their favor. This experience colored Alexandra's perspective throughout the next four years when the monarchy began to crumble during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. She refused to believe that the Russian people could turn on them so quickly. Yet, by 1917 the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
would lead to Nicholas' abdication
Abdication
Abdication occurs when a monarch, such as a king or emperor, renounces his office.-Terminology:The word abdication comes derives from the Latin abdicatio. meaning to disown or renounce...
and the family's execution in 1918.
In 1917 the Romanov Tercentenary Egg was confiscated by the Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
during the Russian Revolution, along with many other Imperial treasures. It was transported from the Anichkov Palace
Anichkov Palace
Anichkov Palace is a former imperial palace in Saint Petersburg, at the intersection of Nevsky Avenue and the Fontanka.-History:The palace, situated on the plot formerly owned by Antonio de Vieira, takes its name from the nearby Anichkov Bridge across the Fontanka...
to the Kremlin Armoury, Moscow, where it remained. The Romanov Tercentenary Egg is one of ten Faberge Eggs in the collection at the Kremlin Armoury. Others include: Memory of Azov Egg (1881), Bouquet of Lilies Clock egg
Bouquet of Lilies Clock (Fabergé egg)
The Bouquet of Lilies Clock Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1899, for Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna...
(1899), Trans-Siberian Railway egg
Trans-Siberian Railway (Fabergé egg)
The Trans-Siberian Railway Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1900 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna...
(1900), Clover Leaf egg
Clover Leaf (Fabergé egg)
The Clover Leaf Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1902 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna...
(1902), Moscow Kremlin egg
Moscow Kremlin (Fabergé Egg)
The Moscow Kremlin Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1906 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna...
(1906), Standart egg
Standart Yacht (Fabergé egg)
The Standart Yacht Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1909 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna...
(1909), Alexander III Equestrian egg
Alexander III Equestrian (Fabergé Egg)
The Alexander III Equestrian Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1910, for the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II....
(1910), Alexander Palace egg
Alexander Palace (Fabergé egg)
The Alexander Palace Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé in 1908, for the then Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II. Nicholas presented it as an Easter gift to his wife, Alexandra Fyodorovna...
(1908), Steel Military egg
Steel Military (Fabergé egg)
The Steel Military Egg is one of a series of fifty-two Russian jewelled Easter eggs made by Alma Pihl under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1916, for the last Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II. Tsar Nicholas presented the egg as an Easter gift to his wife, the Tsaritsa...
(1916).
External links
- A detailed article on the 'Romanov Tercentenary' Egg from mieks.com
- ZOOM Faberge Imperial Eggs at the Alexander Palace Time Machine
See also
- Fabergé eggFabergé eggA Fabergé egg is any one of the thousands of jeweled eggs made by the House of Fabergé from 1885 to 1917. Most were miniature eggs that were popular gifts at Eastertide...
- Egg decoratingEgg decoratingEgg decorating is the art or craft of decorating eggs. It is quite a popular art/craft form because of the attractive, smooth, oval shape of the egg...
- Tsarevich (Fabergé egg)
- Red Cross with Imperial Portraits