Easter is the most important and festive of Christian holidays in the Orthodox Church as in others. In Russia, it is customary to mark this day with the exchange of painted eggs. They commemorate the suffering of Christ and are a symbol of his miraculous resurrection from the dead and his redemption of the sins of man. The egg also was seen as a symbol of the world reborn in Christ.

The Easter eggs, which members of the royal family and the noble and wealthy gave to each other, differed greatly from the traditional painted eggs of the people. They were made of gold and silver, and decorated with enamel, precious stones and miniature paintings. Particularly splendid were the Easter eggs commissioned by the Czar from Fabergé, the leading firm of Russian jewelers; at the turn of the 20th century. They were renowned throughout the world.

Alexander III started the tradition in 1885. Every year, he commissioned an egg from his court jeweler, Peter Carl Fabergé, as a gift to his wife, the Empress Maria Feodorovna. After Alexander's death, his son, Nicholas II continued the tradition, commissioning two eggs from the firm.

At Easter, Fabergé himself would present one egg to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, while his assistant would present the second to Alexandra Feodorovna, Nicholas's wife. In all, 56 of these masterpieces were produced between 1885 and 1917, however, only 10 of these have remained in Russia. Masters from the Fabergé firm worked on each Easter egg for nearly a year. Designers, goldsmiths and silversmiths, jewelers, stone carvers, enamelers and sculptors all took part in its preparation, from the initial sketches to the finishing touches. The final word, however, was always had by Fabergé, "a great, incomparable genius," in the words of Maria Feodorovna.

These astounding creations often included delicate mechanisms. They were equally remarkable for their unusual design, the extraordinary precision of their execution, their magnificent detail and the wonderful selection of the most precious materials. The subject and form of each imperial Easter egg were unique. Some celebrated intimate family themes, while others honored notable events in the life of the Russian state and the imperial family.

During the reign of Nicholas II, the 300th anniversary of the rule of the Romanov Dynasty was celebrated with great ceremony and opulence. This Easter egg, presented to Empress Alexandra Feodorovna in 1913, commemorates this event. It was made under the direction of Master Henrik Wigstrom, in whose workshop nearly all the Easter eggs produced after 1903 were made.

The decoration shows a rich use of elements of state symbolism. The gold egg, faced with white enamel, is decorated with applied stamped two-headed eagles, royal crowns and wreaths and 18 miniature portraits of the representatives of the House of Romanov. These are in diamond frames, painted in watercolor on ivory by the artist V.I. Zuev. The egg rests upon a threefold heraldic eagle, which in turn stands on a circular base of purple, imitating a state shield.

Traditionally, the egg held a surprise which would become visible when the hinged lid was opened. Here, the interior of the lid is decorated with a delightful illustration in white opaline enamel on a ground carved with guilloche ornament. A rotating globe is attached to the inside of the egg; it is made of blue steel, imitating the sea. The land on the globe is executed in gold of several colors. The globe consists of two northern hemispheres. One half shows the territory of Russia at the end of 1613, the date of accession to the throne of the first Romanov Czar, Mikhail Feodorovich. The other shows the territory of the Russian Empire in 1913, under Nicholas II.

The creative fantasy of the artists of the Fabergé firm was unparalleled. In this example, a significant historical theme has been given splendid artistic expression. One of the most important events in the history of the royal family and in Russian life at the beginning of the 20th century has been preserved in the form of a jeweled souvenir, yet the work's historical significance has not diminished its artistic expressiveness.

Text taken from catalog description by Tatiana Muntian.