Trans-Siberian Railway Egg
Gold, silver, enamel, onyx, velvet, platinum, diamonds, rubies, and rock crystal; h. 26 cm
by House of Fabergé, and Mikhail Perkhin, 1900
Kremlin Armoury, Moscow
Photograph by Maxim Sinelshchikov, 2020

The main body of this egg is made of silver, with its hinged lid covered in a green enamel on a guilloché foundation, as is the base, and features blue and orange enamel mounts and inlaid acanthus leaves. A three-sided double-headed eagle, made of gold plate and topped with a crown, sits atop the egg. A map of Russia and the path of the Trans-Siberian Railway are engraved around the silver midsection of the egg, with the inscription 'The route of the Grand Siberian Railway in the year 1900'. Important stations are marked with a gemstone. Three figures depicting griffins holding a sword and shield, and cast from silver with a gold plating, support the egg. These rest on a triangular stepped base of white onyx, with an inlaid gold-plated silver plait. The hinged lid reveals a plush velvet interior that holds the surprise, a miniature replica of the Trans-Siberian Express. This intricate folding, clockwork marvel consists of three sections, crafted from both gold and platinum. The platinum locomotive features a diamond headlight and ruby marker lights. Five carriages follow the locomotive. Made of gold, they feature windows of clear rock crystal that reveal detailed interiors. Each carriage has a unique label: 'mail', 'ladies only', 'smoking', 'non-smoking', and 'chapel', the last featuring tiny bells at its rear. A gold key allows the train to be wound, setting it in motion. This egg commemorated Nicholas II's role in the completion of the Trans-Siberian Railway in 1900 that linked European Russia to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast.