The Fifteenth Anniversary Egg
Gold, enamel, diamonds, rock crystal, watercolour on ivory; height 13.2 cm
by House of Fabergé, Henrik Wigström, and Vasilii Zuiev, 1911
Fabergé Museum, Saint Petersburg
Photograph by Derren Hodson

This egg was a gift from Tsar Nicholas II of Russia to his wife Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna. Commemorating the 15th anniversary of his coronation, the golden egg features a translucent white enamel shell adorned with green enamel garlands and diamond ribbons. Divided into eighteen miniature panels, the egg features sixteen miniature paintings. Seven depict the Imperial family while the remaining nine portray scenes from Nicholas II's reign. Notably lacking the surprise element typical of Fabergé Easter eggs, it was part of the imperial collection until the Russian Revolution of 1917, after which it, along with numerous other Fabergé eggs, was seized by the Bolsheviks. Facing financial hardship, the new regime eventually sold many Fabergé creations to raise funds. The egg eventually left Russia, and changed hands several times before eventually being acquired by the Link of Times Foundation, established by Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg, for between $18 million to $24 million. It was housed in the Fabergé Museum in Saint Petersburg, opened in 2013, and thus the egg was returned to its original homeland.