Wandering through the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts feels like traveling in time. In one gallery, you can be whisked away to the ancient Mediterranean, while in another you experience the Jazz Age. Perhaps one of the most intriguing, though, is the portal on the second floor that opens to imperial Russia.
The Fabergé and Russian Decorative Arts Galleries are arguably the museum’s most lavish. Displayed inside are nearly 400 dazzling pieces, ranging from a smoky agate carving of a dachshund to an enamel hexafoil plate covered in shiny Siberian hardstones. Of the 200 objects attributed to Fabergé, however, the most captivating pieces are the five imperial Fabergé eggs in the center of the exhibit. Illuminated with soft lighting, the encrusted jewels and vibrant palettes are hypnotizing and tempt viewers to come closer to learn their stories.
The dazzling jeweled eggs were created by the eponymous Russian jewelry company headed by Peter Carl Fabergé, a goldsmith trained by European experts. The House of Fabergé was already recognized by the royal family when, in 1885, Czar Alexander III commissioned the First Hen Egg as an Easter gift for his wife, Maria Feodorovna. “The House of Fabergé chose the egg shape for these imperial eggs because Easter was such a huge holiday in Russia,” says Barry Shifman, curator of decorative arts after 1890 at the VMFA. The egg’s enamel “shell” concealed a gold “yolk,” which in turn contained a gold hen that held a ruby pendant. Feodorovna was so delighted by it that jeweled eggs became a royal household tradition, leading Fabergé to produce about 50 imperial eggs between 1885 and 1916. (Records have been lost, and some pieces are in private collections, so pinpointing exact numbers is difficult.)
While Peter Carl Fabergé oversaw much of the work, the increasingly intricate eggs were crafted by artisans directed by expert workmasters Henrik Wigström and Mikhail Perkhin, Shifman says. The VMFA collection holds five of the bejeweled treasures, including samples by both workmasters: the Imperial Easter Egg With Revolving Miniatures (1896), the Imperial Pelican Egg (1898), the Imperial Peter the Great Egg (1903), the Imperial Tsarevich Egg (1912) and the Imperial Red Cross Egg With Portraits (1915).
But how did these eggs travel from St. Petersburg, Russia, to a museum here in Richmond?
The five imperial Fabergé eggs are exhibited in the center of the VMFA’s Fabergé gallery. Each case displays an egg and its surprise, with descriptions of the materials and mechanisms. Interactive touchscreens around the room offer high-resolution photos of the eggs and information about the pieces and their history.
The Collector
Lillian Thomas Pratt lived in Virginia but traveled extensively to study and collect Russian art. She bequeathed her collection, including five imperial Fabergé eggs, to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in 1947. Julien H. Binford Artist Archives and Elizabeth Bollée Binford Personal Papers (VA-05). © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Gift of The Family of Julien H. and Elizabeth Bollée Binford. VMFA Archives, Richmond, Virginia
Lillian Thomas of Philadelphia married millionaire John Lee Pratt, a General Motors executive and Virginia native, in 1917. Both were art connoisseurs, and Lillian was particularly interested in Russian history and culture. “Mrs. Pratt was fascinated by the Russian imperial family, as they were murdered during the Revolution,” Shifman says. “There was a mystique or romance about the imperial family.”
Pratt’s first Fabergé object was a silver frame containing an original photograph of members of the Russian imperial family. As her interest grew, Pratt accompanied her husband on business trips to New York City so she could browse the Russian Imperial Exhibit at the Hammer Galleries. Throughout the 1930s and ’40s, Pratt and other collectors competed to find and buy works by Fabergé. By collaborating with dealers Alexander and Ray Schaffer, Pratt maximized her budget — and her Fabergé collection.
At the time of her death in 1947, Pratt was residing at Chatham Manor in Fredericksburg. She bequeathed her collection of Fabergé and Russian decorative arts to the VMFA “because VMFA was the largest art museum in the state of Virginia,” Shifman explains.
The museum didn’t immediately display the collection, which by then numbered more than 400 items. The five imperial eggs made a quick appearance each Easter, but it wasn’t until 1954 that the VMFA created a permanent Fabergé exhibit; it has since become one of the most popular galleries.
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Imperial Pelican Easter Egg: Maria Feodorovna was given this egg to honor her charity work. Made in 1898 and constructed of enamel, glass, gold, pearls and diamonds, the egg showcases a pelican and its chicks to symbolize charity. It opens to reveal watercolor on ivory portraits of the charities Feodorovna was associated with. Fabergé firm (Russian, 1842-1917), Johannes Zehngraf (Danish, 1857-1908) painter, Henrik Wigstrom (Finnish, 1862-1923) workmaster. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt, 47.20.35
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Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg With Portraits: Czar Nicholas II presented this egg to his mother, Maria Feodorovna, to recognize her service as the head of the Russian Red Cross during World War I. In addition to two red enamel crosses, the gold, silver-gilt, mother of pearl, velvet, glass and enamel egg features a Slavonic inscription of John 15:13 (“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”) and watercolor on ivory portraits of the Romanov women in Red Cross uniforms. Fabergé firm (Russian, 1842-1917), Vasilii Zuiev (Russian, 1870-after 1931) painter, Henrik Wigstrom (Finnish, 1862-1923) workmaster. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt, 47.20.36
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Imperial Easter Egg With Revolving Miniatures: Made in 1896, this is the oldest egg in the VMFA collection. A gift from Nicholas II to his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, prior to his coronation, the rock crystal egg contains a rotating display of 12 miniature watercolor on ivory paintings of places important to her. The egg is also decorated with enamel, diamonds, gold and an emerald. Fabergé firm (Russian, 1842-1917), Johannes Zehngraf (Danish, 1857-1908) painter, Mikhail Perkhin (Russian, 1860-1903) workmaster. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt, 47.20.32
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Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg Miniature: Originally inside the Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg, the watercolor on ivory portrait of Alexei Nikolaevich is surrounded by rock crystal, diamonds, lapis lazuli and platinum. Fabergé firm (Russian, 1842-1917), Henrik Wigstrom (Finnish, 1862-1923) workmaster. © Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt, 47.20.368
A Surprise Inside
While the eggs are beautiful to behold, it’s their interiors that inspire the most interest. Many are known for hidden surprises, such as the multiple picture frames nestled inside the Red Cross Egg, but some display their magical mechanisms, such as the tiny paintings adorning the Egg With Revolving Miniatures. And, of course, apart from their craftsmanship and quirky mechanisms, the eggs’ histories are compelling as well.
The oldest egg in the VMFA collection, the Easter Egg With Revolving Miniatures, or Rock Crystal Egg, was a gift from Czar Nicholas II to his wife, Alexandra Feodorovna, two months before his coronation. The deep blue Tsarevich Egg, also a gift from Nicholas II to his wife, opens to reveal a portrait of their only son, Alexei. He presented her with the Peter the Great Egg in 1903 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of St. Petersburg’s founding. It displays both Peter the Great and Nicholas II and their favorite lodgings on its exterior and opens to reveal a tiny replica of Falconet’s Peter the Great statue.
Nicholas II presented the Pelican Egg to his mother, Maria Feodorovna, to celebrate her charity work (the pelican is a symbol of charity). Decades later, he presented her with the Red Cross Egg With Portraits to honor her work as the head of the Russian Red Cross and to commemorate the efforts of his wife, sister, cousin and daughters during World War I.
While much is known about the eggs and their backgrounds, they still have their secrets. For instance, one of the painted scenes in the Easter Egg with Revolving Miniatures was misidentified until recently. Shifman says the miniature was thought to portray a church in Darmstadt, Germany, but was determined to show a bed-and-breakfast hotel in Harrogate, England, where Alexandra had stayed before she married Nicholas II.
The misidentification was discovered in 2017 by Dr. Markus Miller, director of Germany’s Museum Schloss Fasanerie. After coming across a vintage postcard of the location, he discovered the long-held information was incorrect. He ended up collaborating with others, including Shifman, to uncover the truth.
Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg: Constructed in 1903, the Imperial Peter the Great Easter Egg is made of gold, silver-gilt, diamonds, rubies, enamel, rock crystal, sapphire and watercolor paintings on ivory. It was completed to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Peter the Great’s founding of St. Petersburg. Portraits of Peter the Great and Nicholas II are featured on the exterior, alongside Peter the Great’s log hut and Nicholas II’s Winter Palace. The piece opens to reveal a copy of Étienne Maurice Falconet’s “Bronze Horseman,” a statue of Peter the Great that stands in Senate Square in St. Petersburg. Fabergé firm (Russian, 1842-1917), Vasilii Zuiev (Russian, 1870-after 1931) painter, Mikhail Perkhin (Russian, 1860-1903) workmaster. ©Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Bequest of Lillian Thomas Pratt, 47.20.33
Caring for the Collection
The VMFA Conservation Department tends the eggs to ensure they last for generations. Ainslie Harrison, the conservator and head of sculpture and decorative arts conservation, explains that while major preservation treatments took place decades ago, the five imperial eggs still require regular care. “The materials range from gemstones and semiprecious stones, gold and silver to watercolor on ivory and enamel,” she says. “Most of these materials, such as the precious metals and stones, are very high quality and hold up well without frequent intervention. Some of the metal components, however, do require periodic polishing to reduce tarnish that develops over time and causes the metals to appear darker or more reddish or purple in color.” Gentle techniques and specialized equipment, such as micro swabs and microcrystalline wax, as well as the use of low lighting in the gallery, help keep these fragile materials in exquisite condition.
According to Harrison, the eggs are monitored by gallery associates and the gallery care team, who report problems, such as flaking enamel or loose stones, to the conservation department. Their treatment is documented in detailed photos and written reports.
The eggs are challenging to preserve due to their age and materials. Harrison says the Peter the Great egg is the most temperamental. “It includes a spring-loaded mechanism on the inside that originally raised the platform holding the surprise,” she explains. “The mechanism now causes the top and bottom of the egg to spring apart readily when handled or moved.” Conservators handle the piece gingerly to avoid needing to reset the apparatus or damaging the surrounding watercolors painted on ivory and other components.
It takes a lot of work to ensure the eggs retain their glory, but it’s done to preserve artworks that are both intriguing pieces of history and examples of creativity at its finest — as well as to provide museum visitors with an unforgettable and uniquely Richmond experience. “As a jewelry firm, the House of Fabergé is extraordinary,” Shifman says. “The quality and design of each piece by Fabergé is beautiful and worthy of high regard. Anyone who cares about beauty and quality of execution should admire Fabergé objects.”
