Historic Fabergé Winter Egg Sets New £22.9m Auction Record in London
A rare Fabergé egg crafted for Russia’s imperial family has sold for a record £22.9m ($30.2m) at a London auction, marking the highest price ever paid for a work by the famed jeweller.
Christie’s confirmed on Tuesday that the Winter Egg, considered one of the most exquisite pieces produced by the House of Fabergé, was purchased by an anonymous bidder. The previous auction record for a Fabergé egg stood at £8.9m, set in 2007.
Commissioned in 1913 by Tsar Nicholas II as a gift for his mother, the elaborate creation features more than 4,500 diamonds set into rock crystal and platinum, with delicate snowflake motifs adorning its surface. The 8.2cm (3.2in) piece opens to reveal a miniature basket containing white quartz flowers.
Designed by Alma Theresia Pihl – one of only two female workmasters employed by Fabergé – the egg is widely regarded as a masterpiece from the St Petersburg workshop.
Christie’s specialist Margo Oganesian said the sale underscores the global importance of the Winter Egg: “This result sets a new world auction record for a Fabergé work and reaffirms the enduring significance of this masterpiece.”
Only 50 Imperial eggs were ever created for the Romanov family between 1885 and 1917, and just seven remain in private ownership today. The rest are held by museums or are unaccounted for following the upheavals of the Russian Revolution.
