"The Winter Egg has been carved in rock crystal, engraved on the interior with a frost design, while the exterior is applied with rose-cut diamond-set platinum snowflake motifs, with two vertical diamond-set platinum borders concealing a hinge on the side and a cabochon moonstone dated 1913. It was commissioned at an extraordinary cost of 24,600 roubles, at a time when a Russian factory worker could earn maybe 260 roubles a year."
"Due to their high cost and the lengthy production process, which took about a year, only fifty of Fabergé's famous Imperial Easter Eggs were ever created. Forty-three of these eggs still exist, with most now housed in major museums and only seven (including The Winter Egg) remaining in private hands. The Winter Egg is also among the best documented of all the Imperial Easter Eggs."
The Winter Egg is one of six privately owned Fabergé Imperial Easter Eggs. It was commissioned in 1913 by Emperor Nicholas II as an Easter gift for Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna to mark the Romanov 300th anniversary. Alma Pihl designed the egg; Albert Holmström executed it. The egg will be displayed at Christie's from 27 November to 2 December. Carved in rock crystal, the interior is engraved with a frost design and the exterior bears rose-cut diamond-set platinum snowflake motifs, vertical diamond-set borders concealing a hinge, and a cabochon moonstone dated 1913. Only fifty Imperial eggs were made; forty-three survive and seven remain privately held. The egg was confiscated after 1917 and later sold to Wartski of London for £450.
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