Rare 1913 Fabergé egg to auction for over £20M in London

The Winter Egg, a rare 1913 Imperial Easter Egg commissioned by Emperor Nicholas II for his mother Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, is expected to sell for over £20 million ($27 million) at Christie's London on December 2, 2025, potentially setting a new world record for a Fabergé work.yahoo+2
Only seven of the original 50 Imperial Easter Eggs created between 1885 and 1916 remain in private collections, making this auction a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire one of Fabergé's most technically and artistically inventive creations.the-independent+1
The egg was designed by Alma Theresia Pihl, one of the first female designers at the House of Fabergé, who drew inspiration from ice crystals on her workshop window to create the winter-to-spring motif featuring 1,660 diamonds, platinum snowflakes, and a surprise basket of white quartz anemones.the-independent+2
After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Winter Egg was confiscated and sold by the Soviet government for just £450 in the late 1920s, disappeared for two decades between 1975 and 1994, and was rediscovered in a shoebox under a bed in suburban London in 1993.the-independent+1
The egg has previously set world records twice at Christie's auctions—selling for 7.3 million Swiss francs in 1994 and $9.6 million in 2002 to Qatari Prince Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani, whose descendants are now offering it for sale.the-independent+2

A rare 1913 Fabergé Winter Egg, once gifted by Russia's last Emperor Nicholas II to his mother, is poised to shatter auction records when it goes under the hammer at Christie's London on December 2, 2025. The exquisite Imperial Easter Egg, studded with 1,660 diamonds and carved from rock crystal, carries an estimate exceeding £20 million ($27 million), which would make it the most expensive Fabergé work ever sold at auction.yahoo+3

The Winter Egg represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors, as only seven of the original 50 Imperial Easter Eggs commissioned between 1885 and 1916 remain in private hands. This particular masterpiece has already claimed the world record for a Fabergé work twice before—selling for 7.3 million Swiss francs at Christie's Geneva in 1994 and $9.6 million at Christie's New York in 2002.the-independent+2

A Masterpiece by History's Rare Female Designer

The Winter Egg stands out not only for its exceptional beauty but also for its unique provenance as one of the first Imperial Easter Eggs designed by a woman. Alma Theresia Pihl, one of only two female designers at the House of Fabergé, created this ethereal vision of winter transforming into spring when she was struck by ice crystals forming on her workshop window. The egg's base depicts melting ice with platinum and diamond rivulets, while inside reveals a surprise—a platinum basket filled with white quartz wood anemones representing spring's renewal.news.artnet+2

The original commission cost Emperor Nicholas II an extraordinary 24,600 rubles in 1913—more than 100 times the monthly salary of an average Russian factory worker. "It is a privilege for Christie's to be entrusted with the sale of the exquisite Winter Egg by Fabergé for the third time in its history," said Margo Oganesian, Christie's head of Fabergé and Russian works of art.press.christies+2

From Revolution to Record-Breaking Sales

Following the 1917 Russian Revolution, the Winter Egg was confiscated by the Soviet government and eventually sold to London dealer Wartski for just £450 in the late 1920s. The egg disappeared for two decades after 1975, only to be rediscovered in a shoebox under a bed in suburban London in 1993. Its most recent owner was Qatari Prince Saud bin Muhammed Al Thani, who acquired it in 2002.tsarnicholas+1

If the Winter Egg achieves its expected price, it will surpass the current Fabergé auction record of £8.9 million set by the Rothschild Egg in 2007. The sale will also feature nearly 50 additional Fabergé works from the same princely collection, with estimates ranging from £2,000 to £2 million.press.christies+1

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