1901 Basket of Flowers Royal Imperial Inspired Egg

Enameled
Magnetic Catch
Egg History: The Basket of Flowers egg is a bejeweled Easter egg made under the supervision of Peter Carl Faberge in 1901. The egg was made for Nicholas II of Russia, who presented it to his wife, the Empress. If the egg originally came with a surprise (as the majority of Imperial Easter eggs) is unknown. There is no evidence on the object d'art that it ever had another piece attached or with it and no document or photograph has been found proving the existence of an accompanying surprise. The egg was executed by one of Faberge's work masters, but his name is not recorded and the egg itself bears no maker's marks or other hallmarks of its manufacture, at one point leading to some doubts as to its authenticity. It is designed as an egg-shaped silver-gilt oyster guilloche basket containing a bouquet of blossoms of mock orange, daisies, pansies, calla lilies, cornflowers, morning glories, and oats, with the date Inches1901 Inches displayed on the front in diamonds. The egg stands on a blue enameled pedestal (not its original— the original white enamel was likely damaged during the Russian Revolution and has been replaced/ re-enameled with the current blue seen today), and is surmounted by an arcing basket handle of gold and diamonds. Base and egg are also decorated in a trellis work of diamonds.

Dimensions:

• 8.8 Inches Tall (on a stand) x 4.9 Inches Wide
• 22.4 cm Tall (on a stand) x 12.5 Wide

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