The Rocaille egg is one of the

Fabergé egg A Fabergé egg () is a jewelled egg first created by the jewellery firm House of Fabergé, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. As many as 69 Czarist Russia Era eggs were created, of which 61 are currently known to have survived. Virtually all of the ...

s created in the workshop of

Peter Carl Fabergé Peter Carl Gustavovich Fabergé (; – 24 September 1920; also known as Charles Fabergé) was a Russian goldsmith and jeweller. He is best known for creating Fabergé eggs made in the style of genuine Easter eggs, but using precious metals and ...

for the wealthy Russian industrialist Alexander Kelch who presented it to his wife as an Easter gift in 1902. Because it was not a gift from a Russian tsar to his tsarina, it is not considered an "imperial" Fabergé egg but rather, in this instance, is called one of the seven "Kelch" eggs. It is the fifth egg in this series.

Surprise

Like every Easter egg Fabergé produced, this one has a "surprise" within it. In this case, it is a gold tripod surmounted by a translucent enameled rose-colored engraved heart with the initials "B.K." (Barbara Kelch) set with diamonds on one side and the year, "1902" also set with diamonds on the other. Inside, the heart has spaces for three images (most likely tiny paintings). The miniatures originally contained in the three frames are now missing.

History

The egg was sold by Kelch in 1920 following the

Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...

and was purchased by a Mr. Leon Ginberg that same year after being offered for sale by the French jeweller Morgan on the Rue de la Paix in Paris. Because of French regulations with regard to hallmarking, this egg (and several others being offered up) could not be exhibited. In the 1940s it was sold by A La Vieille Russie in New York, and between 1949 and 1958 it was owned by Jack and Belle Linsky of New York. Then in 1958 it was bought by A La Vieille Russie once again. Between 1962 and 1997 it was held in a private collection Finland. Then in 1997 it was sold by a dealer named Proler of Dallas, Texas to an undisclosed private individual. In 2012 it was purchased through London based Fabergé broker, Matthew Stuart-Lyon, by Artie and Dorothy McFerrin for their collection. In 2013 it was exhibited in Houston, Texas as part of a Fabergé Symposium.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocaille (Faberge Egg) Kelch Fabergé eggs 1902 works

Surprise

History

See also

References