Hermitage Egg

Theo Faberge’s trips to the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, particularly in 1993, stimulated his design concepts and inspired him to design an egg for the Hermitage Museum’s 250th anniversary.

The pale blue guilloché enamelled egg, reflecting the River Neva that flows past the Hermitage, is held aloft by three Atlas statues, just like the portico to the Little Hermitage. You can see two of the Atlas statues from any direction.  The Egg is offset with the Romanov crown inset with a cabochon ruby. To the front of the egg is the monogram and cypher of Catherine the Great, set with diamonds, while on the reverse is the double-headed eagle.

The surprise inside the egg is Catherine the Great’s Coronation Coach in silver, gold, enamel, and diamonds. This surprise follows Theo’s Celebration Egg created in 2001, with the surprise within the English Coronation Coach.