The 'egg' costs nearly 800 billion VND

One of the Easter eggs crafted by the Fabergé family of artisans has just sold for 30.2 million USD, equivalent to 800 billion VND, breaking its own record and becoming the most expensive work by the Russian jeweler ever to appear at an auction.

Commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II as a gift for his mother in 1913, the Winter Egg went to an anonymous buyer after being auctioned at Christie's in London. The record price far exceeded Christie's pre-sale estimate of $26 million. The high price reflects the increasing rarity of Fabergé's Imperial Eggs, as none have appeared at auction in more than 23 years. The historic St. Petersburg jeweler only produced 50 of the eggs, and the Easter Egg is one of seven remaining in private hands. The others are lost or owned by institutions or museums, according to CNN.

In an email statement, Christie's head of Fabergé and Russian works of art, Margo Oganesian, said the new record "reaffirms the enduring importance" and "the rarity and brilliance of a work widely regarded as one of Fabergé's most exquisite creations, both technically and artistically. This is a unique and historic opportunity for collectors to own a work of unparalleled importance."

Easter eggs studded with thousands of diamonds

PHOTO: AFP

The jeweled eggs were made for Nicholas II and his predecessor, Alexander III, who gave them as Easter gifts to family members between 1885 and 1916. Each took about a year to design and produce, and the tsars often ordered the elaborate decorations as soon as the latest one arrived. Ahead of Tuesday's auction, Oganesian described the Easter egg as "the most spectacular, artistically creative and unusual" of the 50.

“Most of them are based on historical styles — Rococo or Neoclassical — but the Easter egg has its own style,” she told CNN by phone, adding that “the design is timeless — very modern.”

Made primarily of rock crystal, or clear quartz, the Easter egg is designed to resemble a block of frosted ice. The outside of the egg features a snowflake motif made of platinum and 4,500 rose-cut diamonds. Inside is one of Fabergé’s signature “surprises”: a small hanging basket filled with wooden anemones made of white quartz, sapphires, and garnets. The design of the Easter egg was unusual for its time—it was the work of a female jeweler, Alma Pihl. Legend has it that Pihl, granddaughter of Fabergé’s master jeweler, Albert Holmström, came up with the idea after seeing ice crystals forming on the window next to her workbench.

PHOTO: AP

According to an invoice published by Christie's, Nicholas II bought it for 24,600 rubles, the third highest price Fabergé ever charged for a work. According to Kieran McCarthy, co-CEO of Wartski, a British antique jewelry dealer specializing in works by Peter Carl Fabergé, the price of the Easter egg reflects the craftsmanship required to transform "precious materials into a moment of nature."

Thousands of diamonds are so small that they have “no intrinsic value,” he added in a call with CNN before the auction. “The value comes only from the artistic expression and how they are used to create this sparkling idea of ​​frost.” “It’s like holding a piece of ice in your hand,” he said.

The Easter egg passed through various private collections after Nicholas II's regime was overthrown in the Russian Revolution of 1917. It then passed through various British private collections before disappearing in 1975. The egg resurfaced in 1994, when it sold for $5.6 million at Christie's in Geneva...

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/qua-trung-gia-gan-800-ti-dong-185251203074625329.htm