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Name |
Caucasus Egg |
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Date |
1893 |
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Provenance |
Presented by Alexander III to Czarina Maria Fyodorovna |
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Made in |
St. Petersburg |
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Work-masters |
Mikhail Perkhin - Miniatures by Constantin Iacovlevich Krijitski (died 1911) |
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Marks |
Fabergé,MP, assay mark of St. Petersburg before 1896 (, seventy-two crossed anchors and scepter); miniatures signed and dated: "Krijitski: 1891" |
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Media |
gold, silver, diamonds, platinum, ivory, pearls, rock crystal |
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Size |
9,2 cm tall |
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Techniques |
enamel, water color painting on ivory |
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Kept in |
New Orleans Museum of Art (Gray Collection), Louisiana, USA |
The Egg --- the Tents --- the Summer residence --- the Winter residence --- the Remmert Bridge over the Fall
Click on the thumbnails to see a bigger image |
When Nicholas' younger brother, Grand Duke Georgii Alexandrovich (1871-1899), was stricken with tuberculosis (he would die within six years), he took up residence in the Imperial hunting lodge at Abastuman, where the climate was better for his health.
This egg is decorated with four ivory miniatures showing views of the mountain retreat high in the Caucasus where the Grand Duke spent the greater part of his life. Behind the hinged cover at the top of the egg is a portrait of the Grand Duke in his naval uniform.
Varicolored gold garlands held by diamond bow-knots mount this gold egg, overload with vibrant ruby enamel on a guilloche (1) under surface. An extraordinary table-top diamond, gem-encircled, crowns the object; another completes the base.
The miniatures, watercolor on ivory, executed and signed by Krijitski, depicting views of Grand Duke Georg's mountain retreat high in the Caucasus, are revealed on opening the four pearl-bordered doors around the egg. Each of these doors bears a diamond-set numeral of the year, the four forming the year 1893. Behind the hinged cover at the top of the egg is a portrait of the Grand Duke in his naval uniform.
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