Czarevich (Fabergé egg)

The Czarevich Egg is a Fabergé egg, one in a series of fifty-two jewelled eggs made under the supervision of Peter Carl Fabergé. It was created in 1912 for Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna as a tribute by Faberge to her son Alexei. The egg currently resides in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Design

The egg is about five and three-quarters inches tall on its stand, with a diameter of four inches.cite web|title=Imperial Czarevich Easter Egg|publisher=Virginia Museum of Fine Arts|url=http://www.vmfa.museum/collections/47_20_34.html|accessdate=2007-12-29] The outer shell is lapis lazuli, with Louis XV-style gold cagework in a design of leafy scrolls. Two large diamonds, one at top and one at bottom, are encrusted into the egg's surface, showing the initials of Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna, the year (1912) and the Imperial crown.cite web|last=Koymasky|first=Matt and Andrej|title=Fabergé Czarevich|url=http://andrejkoymasky.com/liv/fab/47/fab47.html|accessdate=2007-12-29] The "surprise" inside is a Russian double-headed imperial eagle with a miniature portrait of the Czarevich, set in platinum and encrusted with diamonds. The current portrait appears to be a replacement for the original, which was likely lost at some point.

History

Fabergé created the egg as a tribute to Crown Prince (Czarevich) Alexei. Unknown to all but the royal family, Alexei was expected to die of hemophilia and was at one point so close to death that the Russian Imperial Court had already drawn up his death certificate. When Alexei survived, Fabergé, who knew of the prince's health, created the egg for Alexei's mother Czarina Alexandra Fyodorovna as a tribute to the miracle of his survival.cite web|title=Fabergé Eggs: Fragile Remembrances|publisher=PBS.org|url=http://www.pbs.org/treasuresoftheworld/faberge/flevel_1/f5_fragile_remember.html|accessdate=2007-12-29] cite web|last=Mieks|title=1912 Tsarevich Egg|url=http://www.mieks.com/Faberge2/1912-Tsarevich-Egg.htm|publisher=Mieks Fabergé Eggs|date=2007-09-09|accessdate=2007-12-29] The egg currently resides at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

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