Fabergé's Eggs
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The secret lives of eggs
BY ALISON HOOD Allure, tragedy and mystery surround Carl Fabergé's fabulous Easter eggs, the subject of Toby Faber's Fabergé's Eggs: The Extraordinary Story of the Masterpieces That Outlived an Empire. As in his previous book, Stradivari's Genius, Faber explores what befalls exquisite objects when they leave a creator's hands to be sold into the world. In this well-crafted, well-told tale, Faber's enthrallment with provenance reappears as he transports readers into Fabergé's workshops, the decadent Romanov imperial courts, Russia's revolutionary upheavals, the pre-World War II Golden Age and beyond. The first egg, a plain white oval with a "surprise" of gold and jewels inside, was created by Carl Gustavovitch Fabergé, and commissioned by Czar Alexander III in 1885 as an Easter gift for his wife, Marie. Thus began the Romanov tradition of gift-giving, from 1885 to 1917, for which Fabergé would craft 50 Easter eggs, each one designed to reflect the tastes and life events of the dowager czarina and reigning czarina Alexandra, wife of Czar Nicholas. With such consistent patronage, Fabergé expanded his influence to the West, exhibiting the opulent eggs in Paris and opening a London branch. Faber describes each egg and provides the historical backdrop to match; readers glean a cursory understanding of the Russian Revolution, its rise and aftermath. Curiously, only basic information is relayed about Fabergé; however Faber credits the master for influencing Russian and, eventually, international tastes in fine jewelry design versus more "vulgar" obsessions with mere size and carats. With the revolution of 1917, the Romanovs' murder and economic upheavals, the eggs left Russia, acquired by collectors including British royals, anonymous dealers and famous figures such as the iconoclastic Armand Hammer and business tycoon Malcolm Forbes. Now, many are returning home, pushed by the affairs of men and tides of time. The book includes color photos, an extensive bibliography, a list of websites on Russian history,Fabergé and museums and an appendix cataloging the eggs' provenance. Alison Hood writes from Marin County, California.
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