Faberge Duchess of Marlborough Egg

This item has a rich tradition in Russian history. Once made for the Czar, exact copy is available to you. This Faberge Egg is designed from the sketch of Carl Faberge by the jewelers in Saint-Petersburg. The Egg represents a jewelry box where following old Faberge tradition you can put a surprise (ring, pendant or necklace).This egg can play music melody.

Egg dimensions: 6 in.

Materials: composition of cooper, tin and brass covered with red and gold enamel (talmi-gold).

Manufacturing techniques: minting, filigree work, enamel and inlay by Swarovsky crystals.

Produced in Saint-Petersburg, Russia.

Faberge Egg can become a unique gift for person who is special to you or can become a beautiful decoration for your home.

Gift like Faberge egg is an excellent way to express Russian culture and tradition, it is especially appreciated around Easter time.

About the original

Name Faberge Duchess of Marlborough Egg

Date 1902

Provenance Presented by Nicholas II to Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna

Made in St. Petersburg

Work-master Michael Perchin

Materials gold, enamel, diamonds, rock cristal, platinum

Kept in Svyaz' Vremyon Fund - Viktor Vekselberg collection – Moscow

History

The egg was made for Consuelo Vanderbilt, who became the Duchess of Marlborough when she married Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough in 1895. In 1902 the Duchess and her husband travelled to Russia, where they dined with Nicholas II of Russia, and visited his mother, the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna at the Anichkov Palace. During this visit the Duchess would have almost certainly seen the Dowager Empress' large collection of Fabergé, which perhaps inspired her to order this egg. The egg is believed to have cost over 5,000 rubles. After her divorce from the Duke of Marlborough, Vanderbilt donated the Duchess of Marlborough egg to a charity auction in 1926. The egg was bought by Ganna Walska, the second wife of Harold Fowler McCormick, chairman of the International Harvester Company of Chicago. At the 1965 Parke-Bernet auction of her property, it was bought by Malcolm Forbes. It was the first Fabergé Easter egg that Forbes purchased. In 2004 it was sold as part of Forbes Collection to Viktor Vekselberg. Vekselberg purchased some nine Imperial eggs, as part of the collection, for almost $100 million.

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