Christie’s to auction Fabergé “Winter Egg” of 1913
Christie’s has announced a landmark sale titled “The Winter Egg and Important Works by Fabergé from a Princely Collection” featuring one of the most celebrated masterpieces of jewelry art, the Imperial “Winter Egg” by Fabergé, created in 1913. Experts estimate the lot to exceed £20 million, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Commissioned by Emperor Nicholas II as an Easter gift for his mother, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the “Winter Egg” was designed by Alma Pihl, one of the few female designers at the House of Fabergé, and crafted by her uncle, master jeweler Albert Holmström. Symbolically, the announcement coincided with Holmström’s birthday, October 2.
Made of delicate rock crystal decorated with engraving, platinum, and 3,246 diamonds, the egg captures the magic of frost and ice. It rests on a base shaped like a melting ice block, while inside is a hidden surprise: a bouquet of anemones emerging from the frost. The flowers are crafted from white quartz, jadeite, gold, and demantoids, with green-gold “moss” beneath them.
The “Winter Egg” was first sold at Christie’s New York in 2002 for $9.6 million, twice setting a world record for Fabergé works.
The current owner of the Fabergé brand, entrepreneur Sergei Mosunov, who acquired the company in August 2025, expressed his delight at the return of the legendary masterpiece to the market:
“For me, this unique objet d’art embodies the historic legacy of the House of Fabergé and the story of Northern Palmyra, realised through exceptional artistry and craftsmanship. This special moment has truly inspired me in my vision for Fabergé, working hard to unite past, present and future, and reaffirms my desire to develop a unique Fabergé brand archive.”
Alongside the “Winter Egg,” Christie’s will present around 50 exceptional Fabergé pieces from a princely collection, including stone carvings, animal figurines, objets d’art, and furniture. The sale will be conducted by Margo Oganesian, Head of Russian Art and Fabergé at Christie’s.
The auction will take place in London on December 2, 2025.
Earlier, Kazinform reported that an exhibition of rare works by Pablo Picasso opened at the Kulanshi Art Gallery in Astana.