Lapis Lazuli Easter Egg

c. 1885–90
designer

attributed to Peter Carl Fabergé

(Russian, 1846–1920)
maker

attributed to House of Fabergé

(Russian, 1842–1918)
Overall: 5.9 x 4.5 cm (2 5/16 x 1 3/4 in.)
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location: 211 Fabergé

Download, Print and Share

Did You Know?

This egg may have been made for one of the tsar's relatives very early in the run of imperial Easter egg production by Fabergé.

Description

Peter Carl Fabergé became the crown jeweler to the imperial court of Russia in 1885 after he produced the very first Easter egg for Tsar Alexander III to give to his wife, Empress Marie Feodorovna. Fabergé created his celebrated Easter eggs, symbols of rebirth and renewal, as gifts for the Russian imperial family every year until he had to leave the country in 1919 after the Russian Revolution. Made of gold and lapis lazuli from the Ural Mountains, this egg opens to reveal a compartment enameled to resemble an egg yolk, which contains yet another delightful surprise of an imperial crown holding a tiny ruby or pink sapphire on a chain.
Lapis Lazuli Easter Egg

Lapis Lazuli Easter Egg

c. 1885–90

Peter Carl Fabergé, House of Fabergé

(Russian, 1846–1920), (Russian, 1842–1918)
Russia, St. Petersburg

Visually Similar Artworks

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.