Moscow Kremlin Egg
Onyx, gold, silver, enamel, glass, and oil paint; h. 36.1 cm
by House of Fabergé, and other workmaster, 1904
Kremlin Armoury, Moscow
After a photograph by Maxim Sinelshchikov, 2020

The largest of the Fabergé eggs, the Moscow Kremlin egg is crafted from gold and enamel. The removable egg itself features a white, translucent guilloché enamel exterior, meant to evoke the purity and holiness of a religious structure. Surmounted upon this is a polished golden dome, mirroring the cupolas that grace the real Moscow Kremlin cathedrals. Tiny windows crafted from glass offer glimpses into the interior. A festively lit interior of a cathedral is depicted on an oval glass plate, revealing much detail, including enamelled icons, carpets, and a high altar. The base is crafted from red gold, taking the form of four interconnected towers. These towers are based on the Spasskaya and Vodovzvodnaya towers of the Moscow Kremlin. The Spasskaya tower is particularly well-represented, featuring miniature enamelled icons of religious figures and the coats of arms of both the Russian Empire and Moscow itself. The entire structure rests on a base constructed from octagonal white onyx, designed as a stepped pyramid. The surprise is a music box plays two cherubim chants, traditional Easter hymns, when a hidden clockwork mechanism is activated by a golden key. The egg bears the year 1904, when it was to be presented, but possibly due to the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–05, and the assassination of Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich in 1905, it was not given to Empress Alexandria Feodorovna until 1906. The egg was badly damaged before 1922, and it was later restored.