Crafted in 1913 from rock crystal and adorned with 1,660 diamonds, the Winter Egg stands just four inches tall but carries an extraordinary legacy. Commissioned by Tsar Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Empress Maria Feodorovna, the masterpiece was designed by Alma Theresia Pihl — one of only two female artisans to work for the House of Fabergé.
The egg opens to reveal a platinum double-handled trelliswork basket filled with intricately carved quartz flowers, each accented with rose-cut diamonds, demantoid garnets, and delicate gold stems. The entire composition rests upon a rock-crystal base shaped like a block of melting ice, symbolising the changing of the seasons — a recurring motif in Fabergé’s Imperial creations.
This exquisite piece headlines Christie’s upcoming auction, The Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection. According to the auction house, the estimate — available upon request — is “in excess of £20 million” ($26.9 million).
The Winter Egg has twice held the world auction record for a Fabergé egg, first achieving $9.1 million at Christie’s Geneva in 1994 and later $9.6 million at Christie’s New York in 2002. The current record is held by the Rothschild Egg, which fetched $11.9 million in London in 2007.
Between 1885 and 1916, the House of Fabergé created 50 Imperial Easter Eggs for the Russian royal family. Of these, 43 are known to survive, most residing in major museum collections worldwide. Only seven, including the Winter Egg, remain in private hands — making this auction a rare opportunity to acquire one of the most storied treasures of Imperial Russia.
