Dear Reader,
I hope you’ve been well. I’ve been swamped working on my portfolio for my MA in English Literature, which hasn’t left me with much free time for leisurely pursuits, but I do have some history tidbits and eye candy to share with you.
Hillwood Museum in Washington, D.C., the home of the late Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887-1973), is a treasure trove. Two of the most unique decorative arts pieces nestled within its dazzling walls are Russian imperial easter eggs created by Peter Carl Fabergé and his workmasters.
Mrs. Post was the wife to the second American ambassador to the USSR, Joseph E. Davies. During her diplomatic adventure in 1930s Moscow, she purchased numerous Russian treasures of imperial provenance. Mrs. Post was the owner of Postum Cereal Company, therefore money was not an issue. Today it’s unthinkable that a government would sell off its national treasures, but the Soviet government was in desperate need of funds and eager to sell anything American heiresses were willing to buy.
But before we look at the eggs in question, let’s review some background on the history of the Fabergé eggs.
In 1885, Alexander III began the annual tradition of commissioning Fabergé for Easter eggs as gifts for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. After his death, his son, Nicholas II, the last tsar of Russia, continued the tradition by purchasing two Easter eggs every year. One for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna. The second, for his wife, Tsarina Alexandra.
This decades-long tradition produced more than fifty eggs, two of which made their way into Mrs. Post’s collection.
Commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II and presented to Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1896, the diamond-studded The Twelve Monogram Easter Egg (also known as The Imperial Monogram Egg) is decorated with the Cyrillic initials of Alexander III and Maria Feodorovna. The initials are made entirely of rose-cut diamonds and are set against a dark blue enameled background. Fabergé and his workmasters were especially skilled in enameling. The surprise inside the egg was a frame holding six tiny portraits of Alexander III. Sadly, the surprise is now lost to history. Maria Feodorovna was immensely pleased with her gift. In a letter to Nicholas II she wrote, “I can’t find words to express to you, my dear Nicky, how touched and moved I was on receiving your ideal egg with the charming portraits of your dear, adored Papa. It is all such a beautiful idea, with our monograms above it all.”
Commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II and presented to Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna in 1914, the Catherine the Great Easter Egg has pink translucent enameled panels showcasing allegorical scenes of the arts and sciences. Four smaller panels contain scenes from the four seasons. According to a letter written by Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna to her sister, Queen Alexandra, the surprise inside the egg was a seated Catherine the Great. Catherine the Great was a lover of the arts and sciences, so it makes sense that she would have been the surprise. However, by the time this egg made it to Mrs. Post’s collection, the surprise was also lost to history. In older literature, you may see this egg listed as the Imperial Cameo Egg.
These two eggs, among many other imperial treasures, were purchased by Marjorie Merriweather Post and are displayed at her house museum in Washington, D.C.
Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) was Russian-born of French lineage. His ancestors left France in the late 17th century. He had four sons with this wife Augusta Julia Jacobs (1851-1925), Eugene (1874-1960), Agathon (1876-1951), Alexander (1877-1952), and Nicholas (1884-1939). All four of his sons worked for the firm during their father’s lifetime. With the advent of the Russian Revolution, the House of Fabergé was seized and nationalized by the new government. Peter and Augusta fled Russia and made their way to Wiesbaden, Germany. In 1920 they moved to Switzerland where he died later that same year. His wife died in 1925.
In 1924, Eugene and Alexander opened a shop in Paris where they worked under the name Fabergé et Cie.
Today’s Fabergé company is not an offshoot of the original business operated by Peter Carl Fabergé; rather the Fabergé trademark was bought and sold over the years to launch and relaunch new versions of the jewelry house.
Thank you very much for being here and reading. I’ll be back {said in my best Arnold voice} in a few days with another newsletter.
Have a great rest of your day!