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Easter: For the Love of Family and Fabergé

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Easter: For the Love of Family and Fabergé
Detail of the Catherine the Great Easter Egg, 1914, by Fabergé. Made by Henrik Immanuel Wigstrom. Gold, diamonds, pearls, opalescent enamel, opaque enamel, silver, platinum, and mirror; 4 3/4 inches. Bequest of Marjorie Merriweather Post, 1973. Hillwood Museum & Gardens, Washington, D.C.
Lorraine Ferrier
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In 1885, Czar Alexander III gave his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, a most extraordinary Easter gift: a white enamel “Hen Egg.” The unassuming egg opened to reveal a golden yolk, within which was a gold enameled hen. Hidden inside the hen was another surprise—an imperial crown with a ruby pendant.

The Hen Egg, the first imperial egg presented by Czar Alexander III to his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, at Easter, 1885. (Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images)
The Hen Egg, the first imperial egg presented by Czar Alexander III to his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna, at Easter, 1885. Stan Honda/AFP via Getty Images
Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
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