Rose Trellis Egg
Gold, enamel, diamonds, satin, watercolour on ivory; h. 7.7 cm, d. 5.8 cm
by House of Fabergé, and Henrik Wigström, 1907
The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

This Easter egg is crafted from gold with a smooth, polished surface. A translucent pale green enamel coats the body, creating a soft, luminous backdrop. Superimposed upon this base is a delicate latticework design, formed from rose-cut diamonds. Climbing across the surface of the egg are opaque pink enamel roses, their colours ranging from light and airy to a deeper, more opulent shade. The roses are further embellished with tiny emerald green leaves, creating a depiction of a climbing trellis in full bloom. A rosette of even smaller rose-cut diamonds surrounding a single, a portrait diamond adorns the very top of the egg (a monogram appearing under it has since disappeared), its design mirroring the latticework below. The bottom of the egg features a similar rosette, surrounding a portrait diamond, with the year 1907 underneath it. The surprise for this egg is lost. Documented records indicate it was an oval locket on a chain that held a miniature portrait of the Tsarevich, Alexei Nicholaievich, painted on ivory and framed with diamonds. Its only known likeness is an impression it made on the satin lining of the egg.