- Rothschild (Fabergé egg)
The Rothschild egg is a jewelled enameled decorated egg made under the supervision of the
Russia n jewellerPeter Carl Fabergé in 1902, [ [http://www.christies.com/features/nov07/7461/overview.asp Christie's - Russian Works of Art Including The Rothschild Fabergé Egg ] ] forBéatrice Ephrussi de Rothschild , who presented the egg toGermaine Halphen , due to the latter's engagement to Béatrice's younger brother,Édouard Alphonse James de Rothschild . [http://www.mieks.com/Faberge2/Other-Eggs/1902-rothschild-egg.htm Mieks Fabergé Eggs ] ]urprise
Upon the hour, a diamond set
cockerel pops up from the top of the egg, flaps its wings four times, nods his head three times, crowing all the while during this routine. This lasts fifteen seconds, before the clock strikes the hour on a bell. [ [http://www.news-antique.com/?id=782995&keys=Rothschild-Faberge The Rothschild Fabergé Egg - Russian Works of Art, 28 November 2007, London ] ]imilarities with Kelch Chanticleer egg
As one of only four eggs with an ornamentation surprise and a clock, similarities have been drawn with the 1904 "Kelch Chanticleer egg".
History
It is one of the few eggs that was not made for the Russian Imperial family, and has remained in the
Rothschild family since 1905.2007 sale
It was sold by
Christie's auction house onNovember 28 ,2007 , for£ 8.9 million (including commission).http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7116956.stm Fabergé egg sold for record £8.9m, "BBC News ",28 November 2007 ] The price achieved by the egg set three auction records: it is the most expensivetimepiece , Russian object, and Fabergé object ever sold at auction, surpassing the $9.6 million sale of the 1913 Winter egg in 2002. [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aKbQV1ZgI44A&refer=home Bloomberg.com: Muse Arts ] ]The egg was bought by
Alexander Ivanov , the director of theRussian National Museum . "It's one of the most beautiful, valuable and most intricate Fabergé eggs ever," Ivanov said, as well as adding that "We didn't have investors, and this egg will go into the private museum which we are building in downtown Moscow. We will not resell it."ee also
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Fabergé egg
*Egg decorating References
External links
* [http://www.mieks.com/Faberge2/Other-Eggs/1902-rothschild-egg.htm A detailed article on the 'Rothschild' Egg] , from mieks.com
* [http://www.mieks.com/two-eggs.html Comparison with the Kelch Chanticleer egg] , from mieks.com
* [http://www.wartski.com Archive article showing Rothschild egg in Perchin's workshop.Wartski, London]
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