Madonna Lily Clock Egg
Gold, platinum, diamonds, chalcedony, enamel, and ruby; h. 27 cm
by House of Fabergé, and Mikhail Perkhin, 1899
Kremlin Armoury, Moscow
After a photograph by Shakko, 2011

This egg is in the Louis XVI style, its body made of varicoloured gold, with accents of platinum. Its surface is adorned with translucent yellow enamel, applied over a guilloché background. This decorative theme extends to the rectangular pedestal upon which the egg rests. Crowning the egg is a delicate bouquet of lilies, carved from white chalcedony. The individual flowers possess a lifelike quality, their purity emphasised by the absence of colour. Three tiny rose-cut diamonds sparkle from the centre of each lily, representing the pistils. The stems and leaves of the bouquet are in tinted gold, adding a touch of warmth and contrasting with the cool elegance of the lilies themselves. The egg's body is divided into twelve sections, separated by lines of diamonds, and is belted by a diamond and opaque enamel revolving clock face that contrasts with the golden background. Diamond-set Roman numerals mark the hours, and a single arrow-shaped hand, set with diamonds, extends from the base to indicate the time. The pedestal is embellished with a recurring rosette motif, and displays the year of the egg's creation, embellished with diamonds. The egg is flanked by small gold handles, decorated with rose-cut diamonds. The surprise, a ruby and diamond pendant, is lost. Confiscated from the imperial family in 1917, this egg was never sold, and has remained in the Kremlin Armoury in Moscow to this day.