Pansy (Fabergé egg)

The Pansy egg or Spinach Jade egg is one of the Imperial Russian Fabergé eggs, and it was commissioned in 1899 by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodoronova. Its design was overseen by the jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé. It is one of only two done in the Art Nouveau style (the other is the Lilies of the Valley egg).

Pansy Fabergé egg
Illustration of the surprise in the egg
Year delivered1899
CustomerNicholas II
RecipientDowager Empress Maria Feodoronova
Current owner
Individual or institutionMatilda Gray Stream
Year of acquisition1947
Design and materials
WorkmasterMichael Perkhin
Materials usedgold, silver-gilt, diamonds, pearls, enamel
Height14.6 cm
SurpriseA heart containing family member portraits

Description

The egg is made of nephrite and has a stand made of gilt silver in the form of branches twisting up about the bottom of the egg (the egg points downward). Around the sides are five pansies with enamelled leaves and petals. The top of the egg – a nephrite dome – lifts off to reveal the egg's surprise.

Surprise

Regarding the "surprise":

Within is a gold easel surmounted by a diamond-set Star of Bethlehem inside a wreath over the year; the easel is fluted and embellished with carved gold floral and torch motifs and is set with gems and pearls. On it rests a heart-shaped plaque enamelled opalescent white on a sun-ray guilloché background and bordered by rose diamonds set in silver and surmounted by the Romanov crown also in diamonds. Eleven tiny

translucent strawberry enamelled gold covers, each bearing its own monogram, are connected by a large diamond ‘M’ to form a decoration for the front of this plaque.[1]

When a button is pressed, the covers open simultaneously revealing miniatures of the Imperial Family. Reading vertically, those in the first column are:

In the second column are

  • the Tsar himself
  • Grand Duchess Irina, subsequently Princess Youssoupoff, the Tsar's only niece, daughter of Grand Duke Alexander and Grand Duchess Xenia

In the third column are:

In the fourth column are

In the fifth column are:

Not shown are the Tsar's three other as-yet-unborn children.

This egg is among the 10 Fabergé eggs sold by the Russian Antikvariat in 1930, and it was purchased by the Hammer Galleries of New York. The gallery's owner, Armand Hammer, then sold it to the New Orleans oil heiress Matilda Geddings Gray in 1947. She in turn gave it to her niece, Matilda Gray Stream (Mrs. Harold H. Stream, Jr.), as a wedding anniversary present. It is one of the very few Fabergé Imperial Easter eggs to remain in a private collection.[2]

Notes

    This egg is one of only two made in the Art Nouveau style; the other is the Lilies of the Valley Egg of 1898.

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    References
    1. Abraham Kenneth Snowman (1962). "Catalogue of Imperial Easter Eggs". The art of Carl Fabergé (Second ed.). Faber and Faber. p. 89.
    2. "Mieks Fabergé Eggs". Wintraecken.nl. 2017-07-15. Archived from the original on 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2019-08-25.

    Further reading
    • Faber, Tony (2008). Fabergé's Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6550-9.
    • Fabergé, Tatiana; Proler, Lynette G.; Skurlov, Valentin V. (1997). The Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs. London: Christie's Books. ISBN 978-0-903432-48-1.
    • Habsburg, Geza von (1996). Fabergé: Fantasies & Treasures. London: Aurum Press. ISBN 978-1-85410-422-9.
    • Hill, Gerald (2007). Fabergé and the Russian Master Goldsmiths. New York: Universe. ISBN 978-0-7893-9970-0.
    • Lowes, Will; McCanless, Christel Ludewig (2001). Fabergé Eggs: A Retrospective Encyclopedia. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-3946-5.
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