Standart Yacht (Fabergé egg)

Standart Yacht Fabergé egg
Standart Yacht Egg
Year delivered	1909
Customer	Alexandra Fyodorovna
Current owner
Individual or institution	Kremlin Armoury, Moscow
Design and materials
Workmaster	Henrik Wigström
Materials used	gold, diamonds, pearls, lapis lazuli, crystal
Height	15.3 centimetres (6.0 in)

The Standart Yacht Egg is a jewelled Easter egg made under the supervision of the Russian jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé in 1909 for Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. It was presented by Nicolas II as an Easter gift to his wife, the Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna. It is currently held in the Kremlin Armoury Museum in Moscow, and it is one of the few Fabergé eggs that have never left Russia.

Design

The Standart Yacht Leaf Egg is a transparent hollowed-out rock crystal egg, mounted horizontally, with a gold band with inlaid leaves of green enamel and small diamonds marking the separation point between upper and lower halves, which bears the inscription "Standart 1909". A crowned lapis lazuli eagle is perched on either side of the egg and a large pear-shaped pearl hangs from each. The shaft consists of two lapis lazuli dolphins with intertwined tails. It is on an ornate stand with classical overtones, made from gold, pearls, and enamel.

Surprise

The surprise is a golden replica of the Imperial Yacht, the Standart Yacht, made of gold and platinum, and coated in vitreous enamel. The model rests on a carved bed of crystal representing the ocean, but can be removed from the egg.

History

The c5,500 ton Standart was commissioned by Tsar Alexander III in Copenhagen. It was launched in 1895 and was 116 meters long, which made it the largest yacht in the world at that time. Outfitted with ornate fixtures, including mahogany paneling, crystal chandeliers, and other amenities (including a stable with a cow to provide the imperial children with fresh milk) it was a floating palace for the Russian Imperial Family for their vacations in the Baltic Sea. The Russian Imperial Family was vacationing on the Standart during the summer of 1914, when they received the news of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo, marking the start of World War I.

References

Faber, Toby. Faberge's Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire. Random House (2008) ISBN 1-4000-6550-X
Forbes, Christopher and Johann Georg Prinz von Hohenzollern. FABERGE; The Imperial Eggs. Prestel (1990). ASIN B000YA9GOM
Lowes, Will. Fabergé Eggs: A Retrospective Encyclopedia. Scarecrow Press (2001) ISBN 0-8108-3946-6
Snowman, A Kenneth. Carl Faberge: Goldsmith to the Imperial Court of Russia. Gramercy (1988) ISBN 0-517-40502-4

External links

Description at mieks.com

Fabergé egg

Imperial Easter Eggs	Hen Hen with Sapphire Pendant Third Cherub with Chariot Nécessaire Danish Palaces Memory of Azov Diamond Trellis Caucasus Renaissance Rosebud Blue Serpent Clock Twelve Monograms Rock Crystal Alexander III Portraits Coronation Mauve Lilies-of-the-Valley Pelican Bouquet of Lilies Clock Pansy Trans-Siberian Railway Cockerel Basket of Wild Flowers Gatchina Palace Clover Leaf Empire Nephrite Peter the Great Royal Danish Moscow Kremlin Swan Rose Trellis Cradle with Garlands Alexander Palace Peacock Standart Yacht Alexander III Commemorative Colonnade Alexander III Equestrian Fifteenth Anniversary Bay Tree Tsarevich Napoleonic Romanov Tercentenary Winter Mosaic Grisaille Red Cross with Triptych Red Cross with Imperial Portraits Steel Military Order of St. George Karelian Birch Constellation (unfinished)

Fabergé Kelch Eggs	Twelve Panel Pine Cone Apple Blossom Rocaille Bonbonnière Chanticleer

Other Fabergé eggs	Blue Striped Enamel Duchess of Marlborough Rothschild Youssoupov Nobel Ice Resurrection Spring Flowers Scandinavian

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Tuesday, December 23, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.