This lovely Faberge-styled collectable egg has been created in the Faberge style. The original designs for the Imperial eggs were inspired by historical art works that Faberge imitated or copied from his travels or from the Hermitage. Gilded brass, colored enamel.
The Lilies of the Valley Egg was given by Nicholas II to his wife, Tsarina Alexandra Fedorovna, for Easter 1898. It was a reminder of the glorious gardens at the Winter Palace where Nicholas' mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Fedorovna, had turned the grounds into a world filled with flowers. The children of Nicholas and Alexandra loved to gather flowers in those gardens and both the Empress Maria and the Tsarina Alexandra were often the recipients of huge bouquets that the children had gathered for them. Lilies of the Valley were plentiful in the gardens, hence this Egg. It is to be noted that Peter Carl Fabergé also was a lover of flowers and that probably explains the gemstone flowers he made that were collected by the Queen of England.
The Faberge eggs began in 1884 with an Easter egg made by the brilliant Russian jeweller Faberge for the Russian tsar Alexander III that became a gift for his wife.
Then Nicholas II, Alexander son and last Russian Emperor continued the tradition.
You can get more information about Hermitage and Russian tsar's family in our Books and Films
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