The Mechanical Marvels of Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs

Exquisite gemstones, unparalleled craftsmanship, and a glimpse into the twilight of imperial Russia—few artifacts capture the imagination as vividly as Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs. Commissioned for the Russian royal family, these eggs are more than just beautiful ornaments, they also represent an extraordinary synthesis of artistry and engineering. Their intricate mechanisms continue to inspire, even in contemporary times. This article explores these luxurious creations, with a focus on their most ingenious mechanical features.

The History of the House of Fabergé

The origins of Fabergé can be traced to 1842, when Gustav Fabergé established a modest jewellery workshop in Pärnu, Estonia. However, it was his son, Peter Carl Fabergé, who elevated the name to its iconic status. After extensive training with European goldsmiths, Peter Carl returned to Russia in 1872 to assume leadership of the family business.

Blending meticulous craftsmanship with innovative design, Peter Carl Fabergé became renowned for creating extraordinary objects that combined technical precision with artistic brilliance. His reputation earned him the patronage of Tsar Alexander III, who appointed him Imperial Court Jeweller in 1885. This appointment marked the inception of the Fabergé Imperial Eggs, a tradition of annual Easter gifts that endured for over three decades.

The Imperial Eggs and Hidden Surprises

Between 1885 and 1917, the Fabergé workshop produced 52 Imperial Eggs for Tsar Alexander III and his successor, Nicholas II. These extravagant Easter gifts for Empresses Maria Feodorovna and Alexandra Feodorovna epitomized the opulence of the Romanov dynasty.

The eggs are celebrated for their luxurious materials—gold, diamonds, pearls, and enamel—and their hidden surprises. From miniature portraits to intricate automata, each egg contained a concealed treasure, tailored to reflect the personal tastes and interests of its recipient.

Early Innovations

From the very beginning of the tradition the Imperial Eggs featured a hidden surprise. The egg was opened and a hidden pendant, animal or miniature painting could be found inside. The first eggs were beautiful works of art, but did not share the mechanical excellence of the later years. In 1887 and 1888 some initial signs of mechanical innovation were introduced when the Third Imperial Egg featured a built-in gold pocket watch, and the Cherub Egg with Chariot included a cherub figurine pulling a golden chariot. No automation was present in these early designs, but interest in moving parts and the incorporation of more complex components was clearly making grounds.

Clocks and Paintings

As the 1890’s came along, the incorporation of mechanical parts became more and more prominent. Clocks were used as the surprises in the Blue Serpent Clock Egg (1895) and the Madonna Lily Clock Egg (1899), and as a new favourite, many eggs of this decade included pop-up painting of meaningful places and portraits of loved ones. In eggs, such as the Mauve Egg with 3 Miniatures Surprise (1897), Lilies of the Valley (1898) and the Pansy Egg (1899), a hidden button released a spring, revealing beautifully painted miniature paintings.

A step towards mechanical automata was also seen in already 1892, when the Diamond Trellis Egg debuted a moving gold-and-ivory mechanical elephant. When wound with a key, the elephant performed lifelike movements, offering a tantalizing glimpse of the workshop’s growing expertise. This elephant model was later reproduced in several other eggs.

Fabergé’s Mechanical Masterpieces

Moving further into the 1900’s, the mechanical expertise of Fabergé’s artisans really peaked. Some of Fabergé’s most celebrated creations were created between 1906 and 1911 and included complex, multistage automation systems that are still a marvel today. The video below shows the incredible movement of the swan and peacock automata.

• The Swan Egg (1906): The Swan Egg is a gold egg covered with matt mauve enamel and twisted ribbons of rose-cut diamonds. It is topped with a large diamond sits, which conceals its division when closed. Inside the egg, a miniature aquamarine lake is found, decorated with gold water lilies. Resting on this lake is a silver-plated gold swan, exquisitely detailed. The swan’s mechanism is wound under one wing, activating its gold feet to guide it along the aquamarine surface. It also wags its tail, raises its head, and spreads its wings, with each feather rendered separately.

• The Peacock Egg (1908): This ingenious egg is crafted from rock crystal in the Louis XV style. It is engraved with the crowned monogram of Marie Feodorovna and the date. The egg is supported by a silver-gilt scrolling base, while inside, a mechanical gold-enameled peacock perches on an engraved gold tree surrounded by enamel flowers and precious stones. Upon opening the egg, which splits into halves via a clasp, the peacock can be removed. When wound and placed on a flat surface, it struts proudly, moves its head, and periodically spreads and closes its tail. The creation of this peacock required three years of meticulous work by the craftsman Dorofeev, a self-taught mechanic singled out for his brilliance. The Peacock Egg remains one of Fabergé’s most ingenious works, though it is rarely displayed publicly as it resides in the private collection of the Foundation Edouard et Maurice Sandoz.

• The Orange Tree Egg (1911): Also known as the Bay Tree Egg, this masterpiece mimics a delicate orange tree set in a jade planter. The tree features a gold trunk with four main branches that divide into smaller ones holding nephrite leaves. Hidden within the top third of the tree is a mechanism for a mechanical singing bird. When a jewelled fruit is pressed, the bird emerges, moves its head side to side, flaps its wings, and opens its beak to sing. Upon finishing, it retreats into a gold filigree recess disguised by the closing leaves. The intricate construction requires the removal of specific branches, leaves, flowers, and fruit to expose the mechanism housed in a spherical case within the tree’s upper section.

Engineering Behind the Mechanisms

Throughout the collection of Faberge’s Imperial Eggs, we see various mechanisms ranging from intelligent hinges, mechanical pop-up mechanisms revealing paintings or hidden spaces, integrated clocks and music boxes, as well as complex automata, intricate wind-up mechanisms that move and mimic their subjects (the most famous of these being the Swan and the Peacock).

Automata and mechanical watches had been around for centuries, but internally they share a lot of features with the music box, invented in the 18th century (to see specifically how music boxes work, visit this video by Bill Hammack from the University of Illinois). All three play a prominent role in the surprises seen in Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs and in all a spring is first wound up by the user. This is then release and controlled to power the activity of either motion, time keeping or music production. These ingenious devices are beautiful inventions of our past that bring an extra depth of expression into these Faberge creations.

Now let us focus on the most celebrated and sophisticated mechanisms produced by Faberge: the automated animals, the swan and the peacock. The functionality of this automata is rooted in carefully crafted clockwork systems. These mechanisms typically incorporate the following components:

1. Winding Key Systems: A small key is inserted into the device and as it is wound up by the user a circular spring is tightened. The spring stores this energy for the system to function.
2. Spring-Driven Motion: Once the key is released, this spring will start to unwind at a speed controlled by the system. In mechanical watches, which classically also operate through a wound-up spring, the speed is controlled by an escapement. Here a pendulum or a balance wheel releases a tooth of the escape wheel one at a time, allowing the watch to move at a steady rate. Another option for speed control in a traditional clockwork mechanism is the use of a governor. In music boxes the energy from the spring is moved onto a governor, which spins at a somewhat steady rate of 3600 revolutions per minute, controlling the speed of the music. What exactly is used in the Faberge eggs such as the swan and the peacock cannot be known without a look inside, but the low requirement for accurate speed control lends itself to many different options.
3. Precision Gearing: The movement of the spring unwinding is translated into the gear train. Tiny, interlocking gears regulate the movement of components, ensuring smooth and coordinated operation and can be used to multiply or cut down on the output revolutions.
4. Cams and Followers: These elements translate rotary motion into the intricate, lifelike movements of the automata. They control the size and shape of the movement of the different parts. For example, a cam is controlling the sideways motion of the swan’s tail as is wags.
5. Multi-Stage Mechanisms: Complex designs include multiple sets of cams and gears that orchestrate sequential movements, elevating these automata beyond mere novelties.

This type of systems are familiar to us from traditional wind-up toys, such as this 19th-century automata shown in the 1870’s utility patents. The mechanism works the same as our swan and the peacock, buy we can see the difference in complexity. The duck includes one single moving component that is powered by a spiral spring. Fabergé’s multistage designs, with their fluidity and precision, represent an extraordinary leap in mechanical sophistication, even by modern standards.

The Fall of the Romanovs

The Russian Revolution of 1917 abruptly ended the tradition of Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs. The overthrow of the Romanovs led to the looting and dispersal of their treasures. While some eggs vanished into private collections, others were rediscovered years later. Two unfinished works, the Blue Tsesarevich Constellation Egg and the Karelian Birch Egg, serve as poignant reminders of a bygone era and the turbulence of its end.

The Value of Fabergé Eggs

Today, Fabergé eggs rank among the world’s most coveted collectibles, prized for their rarity, artistry, and historical significance. Originally expensive, their value has soared in modern times. In 1994, the Winter Egg fetched $5.5 million, while other examples have achieved prices exceeding €24 million at auction. The demand for these treasures continues to grow, driven by collectors and institutions alike.

How to Buy a Fabergé Egg

Acquiring an Imperial Egg is a rare opportunity, often requiring access to exclusive markets:

• Auction Houses: Renowned auctioneers such as Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Bonhams occasionally feature Fabergé items in their Russian Art sales.
• Specialist Dealers: Reputable dealers like Wartski in London and A La Vieille Russie in New York offer expertise and authenticated Fabergé pieces.
• Private Sales: Transactions through intermediaries or art advisors may provide access to private collections, though rigorous verification of authenticity is essential.
• Museums: Institutions such as the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg and the Kremlin Armory Museum in Moscow showcase these treasures, though they are not available for purchase.

A Legacy of Artistry and Innovation

Fabergé’s Imperial Eggs are far more than opulent creations; they are enduring testaments to the pinnacle of craftsmanship and mechanical ingenuity. Their intricate mechanisms continue to fascinate, serving as a bridge to a time when art and engineering were celebrated as one. For those fortunate enough to encounter or own one, a Fabergé egg offers a timeless connection to a world of unparalleled beauty and creativity.

To find our more about the Imperial Eggs please visit the Faberge Research Site